Wastewater treatment with multilayer media of waste and natural indigenous materials

Wastewater treatment using waste materials (refuse concrete, waste paper and charcoal) and natural indigenous rocks (andesite, limestone, granite and nitrolite) in the form of multilayer media was investigated. The removal of suspended solids (SS), phosphate ion, nitrate ion, ammonium ion, toxic metals and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were evaluated for the multilayer wastewater treatment system. Effective removal of heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead was demonstrated. SS and phosphate ion were removed with relatively high efficiency and the COD after treatment was lessened using certain combinations of media. The present wastewater treatment system is simple, convenient and low cost. Therefore, this method can be applied in small scale plants for wastewater treatment in local and nonexclusive areas.     

Accumulation of arsenic in tissues of rice plant (Oryza sativa L.) and its distribution in fractions of rice grain

A study was conducted to investigate the accumulation and distribution of arsenic in different fractions of rice grain (Oryza sativa L.) collected from arsenic affected area of Bangladesh. The agricultural soil of study area has become highly contaminated with arsenic due to the excessive use of arsenic-rich underground water (0.070+/-0.006 mg l(-1), n=6) for irrigation. Arsenic content in tissues of rice plant and in fractions of rice grain of two widely cultivated rice varieties, namely BRRI dhan28 and BRRI hybrid dhan1, were determined. Regardless of rice varieties, arsenic content was about 28- and 75-folds higher in root than that of shoot and raw rice grain, respectively. In fractions of parboiled and non-parboiled rice grain of both varieties, the order of arsenic concentrations was; rice hull>bran-polish>brown rice>raw rice>polish rice. Arsenic content was higher in non-parboiled rice grain than that of parboiled rice. Arsenic concentrations in parboiled and non-parboiled brown rice of BRRI dhan28 were 0.8+/-0.1 and 0.5+/-0.0 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively while those of BRRI hybrid dhan1 were 0.8+/-0.2 and 0.6+/-0.2 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. However, parboiled and non-parboiled polish rice grain of BRRI dhan28 contained 0.4+/-0.0 and 0.3+/-0.1 mg kg(-1) dry weight of arsenic, respectively while those of BRRI hybrid dhan1 contained 0.43+/-0.01 and 0.5+/-0.0 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. Both polish and brown rice are readily cooked for human consumption. The concentration of arsenic found in the present study is much lower than the permissible limit in rice (1.0 mg kg(-1)) according to WHO recommendation. Thus, rice grown in soils of Bangladesh contaminated with arsenic of 14.5+/-0.1 mg kg(-1) could be considered safe for human consumption.     

Experiments on vertical transverse mixing in a large-scale heterogeneous model aquifer

Vertical transverse mixing is known to be a controlling factor in natural attenuation of extended biodegradable plumes originating from continuously emitting sources. We perform conservative and reactive tracer tests in a quasi two-dimensional 14 m long sand box in order to quantify vertical mixing in heterogeneous media. The filling mimics natural sediments including a distribution of different hydro-facies, made of different sand mixtures, and micro-structures within the sand lenses. We quantify the concentration distribution of the conservative tracer by the analysis of digital images taken at steady state during the tracer-dye experiment. Heterogeneity causes plume meandering, leading to distorted concentration profiles. Without knowledge about the velocity distribution, it is not possible to determine meaningful vertical dispersion coefficients from the concentration profiles. Using the stream-line pattern resulting from an inverse model of previous experiments in the sand box, we can correct for the plume meandering. The resulting vertical dispersion coefficient is approximately approximately 4 x 10(-)(9) m(2)/s. We observe no distinct increase in the vertical dispersion coefficient with increasing travel distance, indicating that heterogeneity has hardly any impact on vertical transverse mixing. In the reactive tracer test, we continuously inject an alkaline solution over a certain height into the domain that is occupied otherwise by an acidic solution. The outline of the alkaline plume is visualized by adding a pH indicator into both solutions. From the height and length of the reactive plume, we estimate a transverse dispersion coefficient of approximately 3 x 10(-)(9) m(2)/s. Overall, the vertical transverse dispersion coefficients are less than an order of magnitude larger than pore diffusion coefficients and hardly increase due to heterogeneity. Thus, we conclude for the assessment of natural attenuation that reactive plumes might become very large if they are controlled by vertical dispersive mixing.     

Phosphorous in the environment: characteristics with distribution and effects,removal mechanisms,treatment technologies,and factors affecting recovery as minerals in natural and engineered systems

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Phosphorus (P), an essential element for living cells, is present in different soluble and adsorbed chemical forms found in soil, sediment, and water....     

Multifaceted role of natural sources for COVID-19 pandemic as marine drugs

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - COVID-19, which is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has quickly spread over the world, posing a...     

Correction to: Multifaceted role of natural sources for COVID-19 pandemic as marine drugs

Environmental Science and Pollution Research -     

Heavy metal pollution through hand loom–dyeing effluents and its effect on the community health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia district of western Bangladesh has become especially vulnerable to dye-effluent pollution over the last two decades....