Removal of Pb2+ from water using the carbon nanotube-g-poly[(sodium methacrylate)-co- 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl acetoacetate]: experimental investigation and modeling

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A solid polymer, poly[(sodium methacrylate)-co-2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl acetoacetate], p(MAA-co-MEAA) was synthesized and then grafted onto carbon...     

Properties of Low Molecular Weight Chitosan Obtained by Catalytic Degradation Using Lanthanum(III)/Halloysite Nanotube Catalysts

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The catalytic degradation of chitosan (CS) using halloysite nanotubes-supported lanthanum(III) (HNT-La3+) catalysts have been studied. The HNT-La3+...     

Characteristics and potential environmental impacts of sand material from sand dunes and uplifted marine terraces as potential borrow sites for beach nourishment along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba

The coastal zone management and development plans which include tourism development necessitate among many other management practices, the extension of the available area of the present natural but narrow, limited and widely eroded beaches by implementing some type of nourishment practices. The present work is providing information on selected sites as possible sources of suitable sand, chemical and granulometric characteristics of their sand, and the potential direct and long-term environmental effects and consequences of its use in any future nourishment practices. Seven sites located within the up-lifted terraces area along the Jordanian portion of the Gulf of Aqaba, were selected as potential sources or borrow sites for sand that may be used in any future nourishment projects. Two sites were selected at the northeastern side of Aqaba region to represent sand dunes. Sand material from these sites were analyzed for their physical characteristics (grain size) as well as their content of heavy metals, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and calcium carbonate. Standard methodological techniques were used during analysis of all constituents. The results were compared with those obtained from the analysis of sand deposits of six beaches along the Jordanian coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba. Results indicate that sand of the selected borrow sites has grain size fractions that are suitable for use in beach nourishment. Results of the measured pollution indicators indicate that their levels in the sand of the potential borrow sites are within or lower than their levels in the marine and coastal sediments of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. These properties, in addition to the wide occurrence and availability of such sources along the coasts of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, suggest that it will be a cheep source of sand for beach extension and restoration and their use in large amounts in beach nourishment project will not pose major hazards on the quality of seawater of the Gulf of Aqaba area     

Managing post-conflict demolition wastes in Gaza Strip: a case study on May 2021 conflict

Gaza Strip is considered as one of the armed conflicts prone areas in Middle East. Several intensive conflicts occurred in Gaza Strip in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021. These conflicts caused massive destroying the infrastructures, facilities, and buildings, which affected all services and activities in Gaza Strip. One of the major post-conflict issues in Gaza strip is the management of resulted demolition waste including its removal, sorting, recycling, and material recovery. In May 2021, over than 370,000 tons of demolition waste composed of rubbles and debris was generated during 11 days of armed conflict. The accumulated previous experience of rubbles and debris removal and recycling in Gaza Strip supported to perform a quick management approach for safe removal of the post-conflict demolition waste and reuse/recycle the resulted waste materials in various applications. The sorting and transporting process of concreate and non-concreate rubble elements of the waste were carried out in cooperation between local and international agencies as emergency recovery-funded projects. The most proportion of rubbles are concrete aggregates, thus, the material recovery was conducted through crushing process for concrete rubbles and then reusing it for road rehabilitation or producing concrete building blocks. The large concrete blocks reused to be placed for shoreline protection for specific area along Gaza beach. The recycling of post-conflict demolition waste management projects in Gaza Strip brought economic and social benefits through the reuse and recycle of resources and creation of job opportunities. In conclusion, although the post-conflict demolition waste management is quite different from municipal/industrial waste management in Gaza Strip, it is conducted through applying similar techniques of disaster waste management in waste removal, and those of construction and demolition (C&D) waste management in sorting, crushing, and sieving for recycling.

     

Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Farmers’ Perceptions of Land Degradation and Stonewall Terraces in Central Palestine

Land degradation by soil erosion is a socioeconomic and environmental problem facing many developing countries. Application of stonewall terraces for soil moisture conservation is vital to reducing the environmental impacts of this phenomenon. To this end, a field plot experiment was conducted in the study area along with the use of a closed-ended questionnaire. The object of the experiment was to study the socioeconomic impacts of soil erosion on local farmers and their adoption of the stonewall terrace technique. The study showed a higher net profit in areas that had implemented terrace conservation practices than in areas that had not (i.e., 3.5 to 6 times higher net profit). Correlation analysis indicated that the farmers’ perceptions, land ownership, and geomorphology were significantly related to the farmers’ incentives and willingness to adopt terraces as soil conservation measures (P < 0.05), although the correlations were negative. Smallholder farmers (52% of the interviewed farmers) were involved in the sale of the agricultural land for urban uses, largely because of the high price and immediate returns offered. However, the associated land use changes warrant greater involvement of both the private and public sectors. This cooperation may be accomplished through the introduction of a long-term agricultural loan system and the development of proper legislation accompanied by a comprehensive and durable infrastructure and service system with the goal of reducing the negative impact of land use changes and encouraging sustainable use of resources.     

Artificial soils from alluvial tin mining wastes in Malaysia--a study of soil chemistry following experimental treatments and the impact of mycorrhizal treatment on growth and foliar chemistry

For decades Malaysia was the world's largest producer of Sn, but now the vast open cast mining operations have left a legacy of some 100,000 ha of what is effectively wasteland, covered with a mosaic of tailings and lagoons. Few plants naturally recolonise these areas. The demand for such land for both urban expansion and agricultural use has presented an urgent need for better characterisation. This study reports on the formation of artificial soils from alluvial Sn mining waste with a focus on the effects of experimental treatments on soil chemistry. Soil organic matter, clay, and pH were manipulated in a controlled environment. Adding both clay tailings and peat enhanced the cation exchange capacity of sand tailings but also reduced the pH. The addition of peat reduced the extractable levels of some elements but increased the availability of Ca and Mg, thus proving beneficial. The use of clay tailings increased the levels of macro and micronutrients but also released Al, As, La, Pb and U. Additionally, the effects of soil mix and mycorrhizal treatments on growth and foliar chemistry were studied. Two plant species were selected: Panicum milicaeum and Pueraria phaseoloides. Different growth patterns were observed with respect to the additions of peat and clay. The results for mycorrhizal treatment (live inoculum or sterile carrier medium) are more complex, but both resulted in improved growth. The use of mycorrhizal fungi could greatly enhance rehabilitation efforts on sand tailings.     

On–off control of aeration time in the simultaneous removal of ammonia and manganese using a biological aerated filter system

The biological aerated filter (BAF) system, a new alternative in drinking water treatment, was designed to remove NH₄⁺–N and Mn²⁺ simultaneously. This study aimed to control the aeration time in the BAF system for simultaneous NH₄⁺–N and Mn²⁺ removal to achieve the Malaysian effluent quality regulation for drinking water. The experiment was conducted under four strategies of S1, S2, S3 and S4. The results demonstrated that acceptable levels of NH₄⁺–N and Mn²⁺ were achieved over a 6 h aeration period (S1), producing effluent concentrations of 0.7 mg/L (93.2% removal) and 0.08 mg/L (79.6% removal), respectively. At the initial treatment of S1 and S2, the dissolved oxygen (DO) level rapidly increased until it reached a saturated concentration (6.8 mg/L DO) after 2 h period. Automatic on–off aeration time to maintain 3 mg/L DO set point (S4) resulted with a good effluent quality of NH₄⁺–N and Mn²⁺ compared with the 2 mg/L DO set point (S3) which did not meet the regulated standard limits. Through the automatic on–off aeration time, the saturated and excessive DO levels in the BAF system can be avoided consequently reduce the wastage of energy and electrical consumption for simultaneous NH₄⁺–N and Mn²⁺ removal from drinking water treatment.     

Water quality index modeling using random forest and improved SMO algorithm for support vector machine in Saf-Saf river basin

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The water quality index is one of the prominent general indicators to assess and classify surface water quality, which plays a critical role in river...     

Identification of rainfall homogenous regions in Saudi Arabia for experimenting and improving trend detection techniques

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In Saudi Arabia, identifying homogenous zones based on rainfall patterns is critical for ensuring a predictable and stable water resource and...