Meiobenthic nematode Oncholaimus campylocercoides as a model in laboratory studies: selection,culture, and fluorescence microscopy after exposure to phenanthrene and chrysene

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Numerous studies have focused on the response of meiofauna after exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but none has been devoted to...     

Ameliorative effects of corn silk extract on acetaminophen-induced renal toxicity in rats

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The current study aimed to investigate the protective effect of corn silk methanolic extract (CSME) against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced...     

Appraisal of methane production and anaerobic fermentation kinetics of livestock manures using artificial neural networks and sinusoidal growth functions

This study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the performance of five models (Gompertz, logistic, Richards, the first-order, artificial neural networks) in predicting methane production rate from anaerobic digestion of livestock manures. The input variables were fermentation time, digestion temperature, biogas temperature, ambient temperature, pH, and specific biogas production rate. The physicochemical compositions of cow manure and sheep manure showed that volatile solid (VS) contents were close to each other in manure compositions (77.6% and 64.7%, respectively), while the potential of methane production from cow manure (673.44 mL CH₄/g VS) was greater than that from sheep manure (320.32 mL CH₄/g VS). The determination coefficients (R²) for logistic function, Gompertz, Richards, the first-order, and ANN models were obtained as 0.968, 0.967, 0.975, 0.825, and 0.995 for the cow manure, respectively. In case of the sheep manure, the R² values obtained from these models were 0.976, 0.979, 0.981, 0.968 and 0.991, respectively. Although the determination coefficients of all models were in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data, the ANN model showed competitive lower RMSE values of 0.111 and 0.164 for cow and sheep manure data sets, respectively, indicating its superior performance than other models.

     

Two‐Steps of Gelation System Enhanced the Stability of Syzygium cumini Anthocyanins by Encapsulation with Sodium Alginate,Maltodextrin, Chitosan and Gum Arabic

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - An efficient method based on encapsulation efficiency of Syzygium cumini anthocyanin extract (ANC.E) was established by using a stable concentration from...     

Optimization of integrated water quality management for agricultural efficiency and environmental conservation

The scarcity of water resources in Egypt has necessitated the use of various types of lower quality water. Agricultural drainage water is considered a strategic reserve for meeting increasing freshwater demands. In this study, a novel model series was applied to a drainage basin in the Nile Delta to optimize integrated water quality management for agriculture and the aquatic environment. The proposed model series includes a waste load allocation model, an export coefficient model, a stream water quality model, and a genetic algorithm. This model series offers an optimized solution for determining the required removal levels of total suspended solids (TSS), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) at point and non-point pollution sources, and the source flows that require treatment to meet a given water quality target. The model series was applied during the summer and winter to the El-Qalaa basin in the western delta of the Nile River. Increased pollutant removal and treated fractions at point and non-point sources reduced violations of the TSS standards from 732.6 to 238.9 mg/L in summer and from 543.1 to 380.9 mg/L in winter. Likewise, violations of the COD standards decreased from 112.4 mg/L to 0 (no violations) in summer and from 91.7 mg/L to no violations in winter. Thus, this model is recommended as a decision support tool for determining a desirable waste load allocation solution from a trade-off curve considering costs and the degree of compliance with water quality standards.     

Shocks and coping strategies of coastal communities in war–conflict-affected areas of the north and east of Sri Lanka

A quantitative survey of 1,377 households in three war-affected coastal districts of Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee in the north and east of Sri Lanka shows that inflation or price hikes, specially fuel, and natural disasters such as floods and droughts are highlighted as the shocks with the biggest impacts on fisher and non-fisher households. We hypothesise that the pattern/severity of households’ coping strategies to face these shocks depends on a set of household characteristics: livelihood diversity, asset ownership, level of education and the ability to borrow. Livelihood diversity, asset ownership and borrowings correlate significantly with the severity of coping strategies adopted by households for both fisher and non-fisher households. Education and livelihood diversification does not show a significant correlation for fisher households although it significantly affects livelihood diversification of both types of households.     

Remediation of tetracycline pollution using MXene and nano-zero-valent iron materials: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Antibiotic resistance is a major health issue partly caused by the diffusion of antibiotic pollution in the natural environment, thus calling for advanced methods...     

Microplastic sources,formation, toxicity and remediation: a review

Microplastic pollution is becoming a major issue for human health due to the recent discovery of microplastics in most ecosystems. Here, we review the sources, formation, occurrence, toxicity and remediation methods of microplastics. We distinguish ocean-based and land-based sources of microplastics. Microplastics have been found in biological samples such as faeces, sputum, saliva, blood and placenta. Cancer, intestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular, infectious and inflammatory diseases are induced or mediated by microplastics. Microplastic exposure during pregnancy and maternal period is also discussed. Remediation methods include coagulation, membrane bioreactors, sand filtration, adsorption, photocatalytic degradation, electrocoagulation and magnetic separation. Control strategies comprise reducing plastic usage, behavioural change, and using biodegradable plastics. Global plastic production has risen dramatically over the past 70 years to reach 359 million tonnes. China is the world's top producer, contributing 17.5% to global production, while Turkey generates the most plastic waste in the Mediterranean region, at 144 tonnes per day. Microplastics comprise 75% of marine waste, with land-based sources responsible for 80–90% of pollution, while ocean-based sources account for only 10–20%. Microplastics induce toxic effects on humans and animals, such as cytotoxicity, immune response, oxidative stress, barrier attributes, and genotoxicity, even at minimal dosages of 10 μg/mL. Ingestion of microplastics by marine animals results in alterations in gastrointestinal tract physiology, immune system depression, oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, differential gene expression, and growth inhibition. Furthermore, bioaccumulation of microplastics in the tissues of aquatic organisms can have adverse effects on the aquatic ecosystem, with potential transmission of microplastics to humans and birds. Changing individual behaviours and governmental actions, such as implementing bans, taxes, or pricing on plastic carrier bags, has significantly reduced plastic consumption to 8–85% in various countries worldwide. The microplastic minimisation approach follows an upside-down pyramid, starting with prevention, followed by reducing, reusing, recycling, recovering, and ending with disposal as the least preferable option.