Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve: evidence from Turkey

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This paper uncovers the link between economic development and environmental degradation in Turkey by employing two distinct methods. We test the...     

Performance of Cow Dung Reinforced Biodegradable Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites for Structural Applications

In this work, performance of cow dung (CD) reinforced poly(lactic acid) (PLA) biocomposites was investigated for the potential use in load bearing application. CD of average 4 mm size was blended with PLA at different CD ratios (0–50 wt%) and their effects on the biocomposite properties were studied. The results showed an improvement in the flexural properties, while the tensile and impact strength dropped by 20 and 28% with the addition of 50% CD. The decline in the tensile and impact strength was due to micro-cracking and voids formation at higher CD content. Also, the incorporation of CD slightly decreased the thermal stability of the biocomposite. However, dynamic mechanical properties of the biocomposites generally improved. SEM analysis of tensile and impact fractured surfaces indicated that the CD had a reasonable adhesion with matrix. Moreover, the SEM micrographs of soil burial studies showed an accelerated degradation of higher CD wt% biocomposites.     

Humic acid in ice: Photo-enhanced conversion of nitrogen dioxide into nitrous acid

Laboratory studies on the heterogeneous conversion of nitrogen dioxide into nitrous acid on irradiated ice films containing humic acid are described. It was found that the presence of light in the visible range of the solar spectrum significantly enhances the rate of nitrous acid release from a humic acid doped ice film. This process might contribute to observed HONO production in snow, where the NO₂ is thought to originate from nitrate photolysis. Analysis of the experimental data based on the Langmuir Hinshelwood model framework allowed quantification of the observed dependencies of the nitrous acid production rate on nitrogen dioxide concentration. The observed dependencies on the humic acid concentration as well as on the irradiation intensity were used to estimate light-driven HONO fluxes for environmental snow covers.     

Exogenous salicylic acid mediated herbicide (Paraquat) resistance in cyanobacterial biofertilizer Microchaete sp. NCCU-342

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Paddy field farming remains the dominant form of growing rice in modern times as the rice is the staple food for over half the world’s...     

乌鲁木齐市相对资源承载力与可持续发展问题研究

文章采用相对资源承载力的研究思路和计算方法,以全国和新疆作为参照区域,分别计算了1996年-2008年时段内的各年乌鲁木齐市自然资源、经济资源的相对承载力和综合承载力,同时分析了它们的动态变化过程。研究结果表明,1996年以来乌鲁木齐市的相对自然资源(土地资源和水资源)承载力始终处于超载状态,相对经济资源承载力始终呈富余状态,并且继续攀升。1996年-2004年综合资源承载力处于富余阶段,2004年之后始终处于超载。经济资源对于综合资源承载力的贡献远远大于土地资源和水资源承载力的贡献,经济资源占绝对优势。土地资源的紧缺和水资源的缺乏将成为乌鲁木齐市社会经济可持续发展的重要限制因素,因此,实现人口、资源、环境与经济的相互协调,提高土地资源和水资源承载力以及转变经济增长模式、保持绿色GDP的增长是保证乌鲁木齐市可持续发展的最关键问题。     

The impact of human capital and bio-capacity on the environmental quality: evidence from G20 countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study investigates the effects of human capital, bio-capacity, energy use, and economic growth on the ecological footprint of G20 countries for...     

Effect of diosmin on lipid peoxidation and organ damage against subacute deltamethrin exposure in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study was to investigate the protective efficacy of diosmin against subacute deltamethrin exposure. For this purpose, 40 male Wistar...     

Concentrations of cadmium and lead heavy metals in Dardanelles seawater

Cadmium and lead were determined simultaneously in seawater by differential pulse stripping voltammetry (DPSV) preceded by adsoptive collection of complexes with 8-hydroxyquinoline (oxine) on to a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). In preliminary experiments the optimal analytical condition for oxine concentration was found to be 2.10⁻⁵ M, at pH 7.7, the accumulation potential was −1.1 V, and the initial scannig potential was −0.8 V. The peak potentials were found −0.652 V for Cd and −0.463 V for Pb At the 60 s accumalation time. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitatification (LOQ) were found to be by voltammetry as 0.588 and 1.959 μg l⁻¹ (RSD, 5.50%) for Cd and 0.931 and 3.104 μg l⁻¹ (RSD, 4.10%) for Pb at 60 s stirred accumulation time respectively. In these conditions the most of the seawater samples are amenable for direct voltammetric determination of cadmium and lead using a HMDE. An adsorptive stripping mechanism of the electrode reaction was proposed. For the comparison, seawater samples were also analysed by ICP-atomic emission spectrometry method (ICP-AES). The applied voltammetric technique was validated and good recoveries were obtained.     

The comparison of heavy metal accumulation ratios of some fish species in Enne Dame Lake (Kütahya/Turkey)

The metal accumulation levels for muscle, skin, gill, liver and intestine tissues of some Cyprinidae species (Carassius carassius, Condrostoma nasus, Leuciscus cephalus and Alburnus alburnus) in Enne Dame Lake (Kütahya/Turkey), which is mostly fed by hot spring waters, were investigated. Analyses were performed for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), chrome (Cr) and boron (B) using inductively coupled plasma-optic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and cadmium (Cd) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) utilizing microwave digestion techniques. The concentrations of the heavy metals found in the fish varied in the follow ing ranges: Cu: < DL-7.04, Zn: 6.96-357.25, Mn: < DL-20.70, Ni: < DL-6.21, Fe: 9.62-2500.33, Cr: < DL-1.74, Co: < DL-0.54, Cd: 0.01-0.27 and Mg: 197.44-904.90 mg/kg wet weight. While B had the second highest concentration in the water of the lake, it was not encountered in any tissue of the investigated species. In all tissues and the species, While the bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of Mn, Zn, Fe and Cu were remarkably high, the BAFs of Mg, Cr, Co, and B were also fairly low or none. Although the heavy metal accumulation levels for the muscle were generally lower than other tissues, there were some exceptions. Cd level in the muscle of C. carassius was higher than the permissible limit stated by Turkish legislation, FAO and WHO. The mean metal amounts for all the investigated tissues and species are statistically compared and discussed in this study.