Potential recyclable materials derived from riverine litter at log boom Sungai Batu in Kuala Lumpur

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Monitoring the riverine litter was essential for the aesthetical value and reducing the negative impacts toward the human health, environment and...     

A systematic review of the utilization of waste materials as aggregate replacement in stone matrix asphalt mixes

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The daily utilization of a large amount of raw materials is causing a rapid depletion of natural resources. The growth of the human population is...     

Role of financial development,environmental-related technologies,research and development,energy intensity,natural resource depletion,and temperature in sustainable environment in Canada

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental sustainability concerns are increasing worldwide; both developing and developed countries face environmental degradation. Literature has...     

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+...     

Climate variability,water levels,and fish catch in the Upper East Region of Ghana

The aim of the research was to investigate the effects of climate variability on selected water bodies in the Upper East Region of Ghana using time series decomposition and simple linear regression analyses. Data on temperature and rainfall (1960–2015), annual total fish catch (1996–2016), and the recorded water levels (1987–2015) of a major reservoir, the Tono, were used. Time series decomposition analyses were performed on the rainfall, temperature, and water level data to identify their trends. While temperature was increasing, rainfall was decreasing and resulted in a decrease in the water level in the Tono Reservoir. The decreasing water level in the reservoir made fish catch easier, which led to overfishing. Out of the other 39 dugouts studied, 8 (21%) were silted. Also, rainfall was decreasing at 4.4% per decade and minimum and maximum temperatures were increasing at 2.5% and 0.03% per decade, respectively. The minimum, maximum, and mean water levels of the Tono Reservoir were 3.7, 8.0, and 4.9 meters (m), respectively. The water level of the Tono Reservoir was decreasing by ?0.08 m per year. It is concluded that the water level in the Tono Reservoir was continually decreasing as a result of decreasing rainfall and increasing maximum and minimum temperatures. To maintain a much more stable microclimate and decrease the siltation rate of the reservoirs, farmers are advised to stop farming along the banks of water bodies and avoid clearing vegetation. Fishermen are also encouraged to adopt fish farming in enclosed areas within the reservoir to meet the growing protein demands in the Upper East Region of Ghana.     

Toxicity,monitoring and biodegradation of the fungicide carbendazim

The increasing use of toxic pesticides is a major environmental concern. Carbendazim is a systemic fungicide having wide applications for controlling fungal diseases in agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicines. Carbendazim is a major pollutant detectable in food, soil and water. Carbendazim extensive and repeated use induces acute and delayed toxic effects on humans, invertebrates, aquatic life forms and soil microorganisms. Here, we review the pollution, non-target toxicity and microbial degradation of carbendazim for crop and veterinary purposes. We found that carbendazim causes embryotoxicity, apoptosis, teratogenicity, infertility, hepatocellular dysfunction, endocrine-disrupting effects, disruption of haematological functions, mitotic spindle abnormalities, mutagenic and aneugenic effect. We also found that carbendazim disrupted the microbial community structure in various ecosystems. The detection of carbendazim in soil and reservoir sites is performed by spectroscopic, chromatographic, voltammetric, nanoparticles, carbon electrodes and mass spectrometry. A review of the degradation of carbendazim shows that carbendazim undergoes partial to complete biodegradation in the soil and water by Azospirillum, Aeromonas, Alternaria, Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Nocardioides, Pseudomonas, Ralstonia, Rhodococcus, Sphingomonas, Streptomyces and Trichoderma.     

Influence of hydrological runoff and catchment characteristics on accumulation floatable litter load in gross pollutant trap (GPT)

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The accumulation of floatable litter load captured in gross pollutant trap (GPT) due to the hydrological runoff has become challenging due to rapid...     

Severity of zinc and iron malnutrition linked to low intake through a staple crop: a case study in east-central Pakistan

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Micronutrients deficiency in soil–plant and human is well-addressed; however, little is known about their spatial distribution, magnitude of deficiency...     

Sustainable agriculture and eradication of rural poverty in Pakistan

Poverty is rampant in the rural areas of Pakistan, where people are in a state of deprivation with regard to incomes, clothing, housing, healthcare, education, sanitary facilities and human rights. Agriculture generates nearly 20.9 percent of the country's GDP and provides employment for 43.4 percent of its workforce. Most importantly, 65.9 percent of the population living in rural areas is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Rising population, shrinking agricultural land, increasing demand for water resources, widespread land degradation and inadequate infrastructure appear to be major concerns of the agriculture sector in Pakistan. An attempt has been made to examine the population growth–agriculture growth–poverty alleviation linkage. It is argued that agriculture will continue to be one of the most important sectors of Pakistan's economy for years to come. To alleviate poverty, it is suggested that Pakistan enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector through the provision of a series of inputs including provision of easy credit to the small farmer, availability of quality fertilizers and pesticides, tractor and harvester services, improvement in the effectiveness of the vast irrigation system and, finally, farmer education. It is concluded that the high rate of population growth needs to be curbed for increased agricultural productivity to have any significant effect on poverty in rural areas of Pakistan.