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.     

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。     

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...     

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.     

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...     

Environmental quality,forestation, and health expenditure: a cross-country evidence

Environment, Development and Sustainability - The study probes the relationship between health expenditures, forestation, and environmental quality using panel data of 87 countries, through...     

Energy and exergy analysis of a heat storage tank with a novel eutectic phase change material layer of a solar heater system

Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources, but it is not available every time and every season. Thus, storing of solar energy is important. One of the popular methods of heat storage is use of phase change materials (PCMs) which have large thermal energy storage capacity. In this study, the heat storage tank in a domestic solar water heating system was chosen as control volume. The experiments were performed in the province of Elaz?g, Turkey, in November when solar radiation was weak due to cloudy sky. The heat storage tank of the system was modified to fill PCM between insulation and hot water part. A few PCMs which are Potassium Fluoride, Lithium Metaborate Dihydrate, Strontium Hydroxide Octahydrate, Barium Hydroxide Octahydrate, Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate, and Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate were analyzed to proper operating conditions using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and the best PCM was obtained with the Aluminum Ammonium Sulfate and Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate mixture. Thus, eutectic PCM was obtained and used in a heat storage tank of the solar water heating system. Energy and exergy analysis of heat storage tank was performed with and without the PCM. Energy and exergy analysis has shown that the heat storage tank with the PCM is more efficient than without the PCM and the maximum exergy efficiency was obtained as 22% with the heat storage tank with the PCM.     

Characterization of lead-resistant river isolate Enterococcus faecalis and assessment of its multiple metal and antibiotic resistance

Contamination of surface waters has a direct impact on the public health of entire communities. Microorganisms inhabiting contaminated surface waters have developed mechanisms of coping with a variety of toxic metals and drugs. Investigations were carried out to isolate and identify lead-resistant bacteria from the river K?z?l?rmak along the city of K?r?kkale, Turkey. Of the 33 lead-resistant isolates, one isolate with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 1,200 mg?L^?1 was isolated and identified as Enterococcus faecalis by using biochemical tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. Lead-resistant E. faecalis isolate was found out to be resistant to other heavy metals like aluminum, lithium, barium, chromium, iron, silver, tin, nickel, zinc, and strontium and to drugs like amikacin, aztreonam, and gentamicin. E. faecalis harbored four plasmids with the molecular sizes of 1.58, 3.06, 22.76, and 28.95 kb. Plasmid profile analyses of cured derivatives revealed that the lead resistance ability of E. faecalis was still existing despite the elimination of all the plasmids. Moreover, the antibiotic resistance pattern of the cured derivatives did not demonstrate any change from the parental strain. Our findings indicated that the lead resistance genes of E. faecalis were located on the chromosomal DNA rather than the plasmid.