Composting of municipal solid waste by different methods improved the growth of vegetables and reduced the health risks of cadmium and lead

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Reutilization of putrescible municipal solid wastes (MSW) in agriculture can provide valuable plant nutrients. However, it may pose serious...     

The effect of nutrients shortage on plant’s efficiency to capture solar radiations under semi-arid environments

Radiation use efficiency (RUE) is considered critical for calculation of crop yield. The crop productivity can be improved by increasing the interception of solar radiation and maintaining higher RUE for plants. Irrigation water and nitrogen (N) supply are the main limiting factors for RUE in maize (Zea mays L.) across the semi-arid environments. Field experiments were conducted during two consecutive growing seasons (2009–2010) to optimize RUE in relation to N application timings and rates with varying irrigation water management practices. In experiment 1, three N application timings were made, while in experiment 2, three possible water management practices were used. In both experiments, five N rates (100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 kg N ha⁻¹) were applied to evaluate the effects of irrigation water and N on cumulative photosynthetic active radiation (PARi), dry matter RUE (RUE_DM), and grain yield RUE (RUE_GY). The results demonstrated that cumulative PARi and RUEs were not constant during the plant growth under varying the nutrients. The water and N significantly influenced cumulative PARi and RUEs during the both growing seasons. In experiment 1, the maximum cumulative PARi was observed by application of 250 kg N ha⁻¹ in three splits (1/3 N at V2, 1/3 N at V16, and 1/3 N at R1 stage), and the highest RUE_DM was achieved by the application of 300 kg N ha⁻¹. However, the highest RUE_GY was observed by application of 250 kg N ha⁻¹. In experiment 2, the maximum cumulative PARi was attained at normal irrigation regime with 250 kg N ha⁻¹, while the highest RUE_DM and RUE_GY were recorded at normal irrigation regime with the application of 300 kg N ha⁻¹. The regression analysis showed significant and positive correlation of RUE_GY with grain yield. Therefore, optimum water and N doses are important for attaining higher RUE, which may enhance maize grain yield semi-arid environment; this may be considered in formulating good agricultural practices for the environmental conditions resembling to those of this study.

     

A multi-criteria decision analysis of solid waste treatment options in Pakistan: Lahore City—a case in point

Population of the world is increasing day by day, resulting in enormous amount of waste production. In the modern age of great technological advancements, there needs to be a systematic method to keep the environment clean. The waste management activities, i.e., collection, transport and disposal, pose a great challenge to the waste managers as they have to factor in various eclectic factors such as land availability, facilities available, budget, time required and the impact it would have on the environment, while tackling this problem. Lahore, despite being the most developed city of Pakistan, does not have a suitable solid waste management system. An increasing population leads to more waste generation, and in Lahore the situation is no different. Several waste management companies are working in the city, but as of yet they have not been able to make significant inroads to completely eradicate the problem. The aim of this paper is to suggest a suitable way for dealing with the waste. To accomplish this aim, a hierarchy-based model is used, considering six criteria and five alternatives. We used multi-criteria decision analysis to decide among different waste management alternatives. Forecasting has been used to find the population and waste produced over the years. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) are used to rank the feasible alternative. The results show that the population and waste were increasing drastically. Aerobic digestion was ranked as the best alternative for waste management according to AHP and TOPSIS, but there is great variation among the rank of other alternatives.     

Construction,renovation, and demolition waste in landfill: a review of waste characteristics,environmental impacts,and mitigation measures

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - With the increase in global population, industrialization, and urbanization, waste from construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) activities has...     

The possible role of the seaweed Ulva fasciata on ameliorating hyperthyroidism-associated heart inflammations in a rat model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cardiovascular diseases are key complications primarily associated with hyperthyroidism disorders. The present study sought to ameliorate...     

Ozonation catalyzed by homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for degradation of DEHP in aqueous phase

Di-(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a recalcitrant and an endocrine disrupting chemical, was studied for its removal from wastewater by advanced oxidation process. The effects of pH, transition metal ions, and granular activated carbon (GAC) were investigated. Removal of DEHP increased with increase in pH and among metal ions Cr(III) was found to be the most active catalyst to remove DEHP. In the case of GAC, original carbon (G0) and GAC pre-ozonated in gas phase for 10 min (G10) were tested as catalysts in catalytic ozonation and found G0 to be more active than G10. This is because, during pre-ozonation, basic groups like chromene, pyrones and also graphene layers were oxidized to acidic surface oxygen groups. These basic surface groups are reported to be active catalytic centres for ozone decomposition into .OH which is a strong oxidant. According to kinetic manipulations, DEHP degradation rate constant due to .OH was affected by the catalyst while that due to direct ozonation is same in all cases with or without catalyst. G0 was doped with chromia gels (G0/CrA) to combine the benefits of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. G0/CrA showed lower catalytic efficiency than that of only G0. This might be because of changes in surface structure of GAC caused by doping of chromia gel and changes in chemical nature of Cr(III) during formation of gel. A good correlation was found between the rate constants of ozone decay and DEHP degradation (R2=0.96). This correlation confirms that ozone decomposition into .OH is a critical factor for the activity of a catalyst during ozonation.     

Developing the first halophytic turfgrasses for the urban landscape from native Arabian desert grass

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Climate change is occurring and is influencing biological systems through augmented temperatures, more inconstant precipitation, and rising CO2 in the...     

Green sol–gel synthesis of novel nanoporous copper aluminosilicate for the eradication of pathogenic microbes in drinking water and wastewater treatment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - We used a green sol–gel synthesis method to fabricate a novel nanoporous copper aluminosilicate (CAS) material. Nanoporous CAS was characterized...     

Optimizing biomass pathways to bioenergy and biochar application in electricity generation,biodiesel production,and biohydrogen production

The current energy crisis, depletion of fossil fuels, and global climate change have made it imperative to find alternative sources of energy that are both economically sustainable and environmentally friendly. Here we review various pathways for converting biomass into bioenergy and biochar and their applications in producing electricity, biodiesel, and biohydrogen. Biomass can be converted into biofuels using different methods, including biochemical and thermochemical conversion methods. Determining which approach is best relies on the type of biomass involved, the desired final product, and whether or not it is economically sustainable. Biochemical conversion methods are currently the most widely used for producing biofuels from biomass, accounting for approximately 80% of all biofuels produced worldwide. Ethanol and biodiesel are the most prevalent biofuels produced via biochemical conversion processes. Thermochemical conversion is less used than biochemical conversion, accounting for approximately 20% of biofuels produced worldwide. Bio-oil and syngas, commonly manufactured from wood chips, agricultural waste, and municipal solid waste, are the major biofuels produced by thermochemical conversion. Biofuels produced from biomass have the potential to displace up to 27% of the world's transportation fuel by 2050, which could result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 3.7 billion metric tons per year. Biochar from biomass can yield high biodiesel, ranging from 32.8% to 97.75%, and can also serve as an anode, cathode, and catalyst in microbial fuel cells with a maximum power density of 4346 mW/m². Biochar also plays a role in catalytic methane decomposition and dry methane reforming, with hydrogen conversion rates ranging from 13.4% to 95.7%. Biochar can also increase hydrogen yield by up to 220.3%.

     

Economic feasibility of solar-powered reverse osmosis water desalination: a comparative systemic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Due to disparities in the allocation of rainwater and drought, extreme exploitation of groundwater reservoirs has depleted water supplies in many...