The ameliorative effects of ceftriaxone and vitamin E against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Nephrotoxicity is a common adverse effect of treatment with cisplatin (CDDP). This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and...     

Characteristics of pipe corrosion scales in untreated water distribution system and effect on water quality in Peshawar,Pakistan

This study investigated the characteristics of iron corrosion scales in pipes at tube well, overhead tank, and consumers’ end in older untreated water distribution system in Peshawar city, Pakistan. Effect of water quality conditions on corrosion scales and that of scales on drinking water quality in such systems was also assessed by undertaking a comparison with new piped distribution systems. The scales were analyzed for chemical composition and morphology using X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), while water quality was examined for physicochemical and biological characteristics. The main crystalline phases of corrosion scales were goethite, magnetite, siderite, and quartz. From tube well to consumers’ end, goethite increased from 36 up to 48%, quartz declined from 22 to 15%, while magnetite fluctuated and siderite disappeared. Elemental composition of scales showed the deposition of Zn, Al, Mn, Cr, Pb, Cu, As, and Cd with Zn (13.9 g/kg) and Al (3.6 g/kg) in highest proportion. The SEM analysis illustrated the presence of microbial communities indicating the formation of biofilms in the corrosion scales. The significant difference (P <?0.05) in levels of dissolved oxygen (DO), Cl^?, SiO₄^4?, electrical conductivity (EC), SO₄^2?, NO₃^?, alkalinity, hardness, and trace metals between old (DS-O) and new piped systems indicated their role in corrosion scale formation/destabilization and the effect of scale dissolution on water quality. In DS-O, EC, Cu, and Mn were significantly higher (P?<?0.05), whereas turbidity, EC, DO, and SiO₄^4? significantly increased from source to consumers’ end implying a higher dissolution of scales and lowered corrosion rates in DS-O to utilize SiO₄^4? and DO for iron oxidation.

     

Application of soft computing to predict water quality in wetland

Prediction of water quality is a critical issue because of its significant impact on human and ecosystem health. This research aims to predict water quality index (WQI) for the free surface wetland using three soft computing techniques namely, adaptive neuro-fuzzy system (ANFIS), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and group method of data handling (GMDH). Seventeen wetland points for a period of 14 months were considered for monitoring water quality parameters including conductivity, suspended solid (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammoniacal nitrogen (AN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, phosphate nitrite, and nitrate. The sensitivity analysis performed by ANFIS indicates that the significant parameters to predict WQI are pH, COD, AN, and SS. The results indicated that ANFIS with Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE = 0.9634) and mean absolute error (MAE = 0.0219) has better performance to predict the WQI comparing with ANNs (NSE = 0.9617 and MAE = 0.0222) and GMDH (NSE = 0.9594 and MAE = 0.0245) models. However, ANNs provided a comparable prediction and the GMDH can be considered as a technique with an acceptable prediction for practical purposes. The findings of this study could be used as an effective reference for policy makers in the field of water resource management. Decreasing variables, reduction of running time, and high speed of these approaches are the most important reasons to employ them in any aquatic environment worldwide.

     

Impact of alkaline-hydrolyzed biosolids (Lystek) addition on the anaerobic digestibility of TWAS in lab – And full-scale anaerobic digesters

The effect of different Lystek biosolids doses on the anaerobic digestability of thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) was evaluated in a lab- and full-scale anaerobic digester. The overall findings of this study emphasize the beneficial impact of Lystek addition to the lab- and full-scale anaerobic digesters in terms of enhanced biogas production and increased volatile suspended solids reduction (VSSR) efficiency. Lystek added at 4% by volume to TWAS increased the methane yield from 0.22 to 0.26 L CH₄/g VSS_added at an solids retention time (SRT) of 10 days, and from 0.27 to 0.29 L CH₄/g VSS_added at an SRT of 15 days. Furthermore, the VSSRs of 37% and 47% were observed for the TWAS, and the TWAS with 4% Lystek, while at an SRT of 15 days, the observed VSSR were 49% and 58%, respectively. The lab-scale study showed that the influence of Lystek addition on methane yield and solids destruction efficiencies was more pronounced at the shorter SRT, 20% enhancement (SRT of 10 d) vs. 9% enhancement (SRT of 15 d) for methane yield, and 27% (SRT of 10 d) vs. 22% (SRT of 15 d) for VSS destruction efficiency improvement. Furthermore, addition of 4% of Lystek to the feed of the full-scale anaerobic digester at St. Marys wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) resulted in a 50% increase in the average specific methanogenic activity and 23% increase in methane yield of the biochemical methane potential tests after eight months. The results showed that Lystek degradation kinetics were 40% faster than the TWAS, as reflected by first order kinetic coefficients of 0.053 d^?1 and 0.073 d^?1 for TWAS and Lystek at an SRT of 10 days.     

Validating the effects of the environmental regulation compliance scale: evidence from the Nigerian oil and gas industry

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Growing environmental deterioration has caused many countries to tighten their environmental regulations across the globe. Recent studies show that...     

The diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative frozen section biopsy for diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients: a meta-analysis

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling is important for evaluating the nodal stage of breast cancer when the axillary nodes are clinically free of...     

Foliar use of TiO2-nanoparticles for okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) cultivation on sewage sludge–amended soils: biochemical response and heavy metal accumulation

Considering its richness in organic and inorganic mineral nutrients, the recycling of sewage sludge (SS) is highly considered as a soil supplement in agriculture. However, the fate of hazardous heavy metal accumulation in the crops cultivated in SS amended soils is always a source of concern. Since nanoparticles are widely recognized to reduce heavy metal uptake by crop plants; thus, the present experiment deals with okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) cultivation under the combined application of SS and TiO₂-nanoparticles (NPs). Triplicated pot experiments were conducted using different doses of SS and TiO₂-NPs such as 0 g/kg SS (control), 50 g/kg SS, 50 g/kg SS?+?TiO₂, 100 g/kg SS, and 100 g/kg SS?+?TiO₂, respectively. The findings of this study indicated that among the doses of treatment combinations investigated, 100 g/kg SS?+?TiO₂ showed a significant (p?<?0.05) increase in the okra plant yield (287.87?±?4.06 g/plant) and other biochemical parameters such as fruit length (13.97?±?0.54 cm), plant height (75.05?±?3.18 cm), superoxide dismutase (SOD: 110.68?±?3.11 μ/mg), catalase (CAT: 81.32?±?3.52 μ/mg), and chlorophyll content (3.12?±?0.05 mg/g fwt.). Also, the maximum contents of six heavy metals in the soil and cultivated okra plant tissues (fruit, stem, and root regions) followed the order of Fe?>?Mn?>?Cu?>?Zn?>?Cr?>?Cd using the same treatment. Bioaccumulation and health risk assessment indicated that foliar application of TiO₂-NPs significantly reduced the fate of heavy metal accumulation under higher doses of SS application. Therefore, the findings of this study suggested that the combined use of SS and TiO₂-NPs may be useful in ameliorating the negative consequences of heavy metal accumulation in cultivated okra crops.

     

Note On A Preliminary Study of the Effects of Roof Tar Evaporate on Oxidant Levels Measured by Iodide Colorimetry

Some evidence exists to relate elevated oxidant levels, as measured by iodine colorimetry or coulometry, to the presence of roof tar evaporates or the oxidation products produced from such evaporates in the presence of sunlight.     

Sulfonated cross-linked polyethylenimine for selective removal of mercury from aqueous solutions

Polymeric materials are among the most promising, effective, and increasingly important adsorbents for the removal of toxic metals from wastewater. This study was dedicated to the development of an insoluble, modified chelating polymer for use as an adsorbent for abstraction of Hg from aqueous solutions. Cross-linked polyethylenimine (CPEI) was sulfonated by 3-chloropropanesulfonyl chloride for selective removal of Hg. The binding affinity of the sulfonated CPEI (SCPEI) to Hg was assessed as well as its ability to be regenerated for reuse. It exhibited high removal percentage for Hg up to 87% in synthetic solutions, with high selectivity even in the presence of competing ions: “Mn, Ni, Fe, Pb, Zn, and Cr.” The removal mechanism followed was observed to be adsorption and precipitation at pH 3 and 8, respectively. High adsorption capacities were also observed for wastewater to which the polymer was applied. The Freundlich isotherm was found to be the best fit describing the adsorption process of Hg onto the SCPEI. The pseudo second-order equation was found to better explain the adsorption kinetics, implying chemisorption. The thermodynamic study of the adsorption revealed high activation energies which confirmed the chemisorption as the mechanism of adsorption. The polymer exhibited up to 72% removal efficiency after regeneration, thus showing potential for re-use.