An overview and analysis of site remediation technologies

This paper presents an analysis of the site restoration techniques that may be employed in a variety of contaminated site cleanup programs. It is recognized that no single specific technology may be considered as a panacea for all contaminated site problems. An easy-to-use summary of the analysis of the important parameters that will help in the selection and implementation of one or more appropriate technologies in a defined set of site and contaminant characteristics is also included.     

Endosulfan is toxic to the reproductive health of male freshwater fish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinion watsoni</Emphasis>

Endosulfan is an organochlorine pesticide that is toxic to aquatic life. Endosulfan might hamper the reproductive health of indigenous fish in agricultural areas of Pakistan where this pesticide is sprayed widely. The aim of the current study is to investigate the toxic effects of endosulfan on selected reproductive parameters of male freshwater fish, Cyprinion watsoni. Two concentrations of endosulfan (0.5 and 1 ppb for 30 days exposure) were tested for their effects on body weight, body length, and testicular weight, length, and width. Testicular testosterone was assayed from tissue extracts using enzyme immunoassay (EIA). A significant increase in the mortality rate was observed in both treated groups during both spawning and quiescent seasons. The overall behavior of fish in the aquarium was normal in all control and treated groups. However, the treated fish exhibited anxiety after treatment with endosulfan. The body weight and length, and testicular weight, length and width were not significantly different to the control group. The testicular testosterone concentrations were significantly lower in both endosulfan-treated groups compared to the control. The decrease was dose-dependent, with a significant difference between the two treated groups. The histomorphological results demonstrated various testicular alterations in the treated groups. These alterations included an increase in interlobular areas and clumping patterns in spermatocytes/spermatids. Because spermatids eventually differentiate into sperms, their low count will directly result in lower sperm count. Taken together, these results suggest that endosulfan is a toxicant that at least disturbs testosterone levels (possibly others) and negatively impacts the reproductive health of male freshwater fish.     

Succinate-bonded pullulan: An efficient and reusable super-sorbent for cadmium-uptake from spiked high-hardness groundwater

Chemically modified pullulan was evaluated for its sorption efficiency and selectivity to remove cadmium(Cd) from spiked high-hardness groundwater(GW). Pullulan esterified with succinic anhydride using dimethylaminopyridine showed a fairly high degree of substitution value as confirmed by1 H NMR spectroscopy. Pullulan succinate(Pull-Suc) was converted into the sodium salt(Pull-Suc-Na). The effect of contact time(5–200 min) and p H(2–8) on Cd-uptake by the sorbent(Pull-Suc-Na) was investigated. The sorbent showed more than 90% Cd-removal in first 15 min from distilled water(DW) and GW solution,respectively. Comparison of Pull-Suc-Na with other polysaccharidal sorbents suggested its high efficiency(DW 476.2 mg/g and GW 454.5 mg/g) and selectivity for the removal of Cd by an ion exchange mechanism, which is further supported by the negative Gibbs free energy values calculated from Langmuir isotherms. A Langmuir isotherm kinetic model provided the best fit for the sorption of Cd using Pull-Suc-Na. The sorbent showed a negligible decrease in Cd-uptake over three regeneration cycles. The thermal stability testing of the sorbents indicated that Pull-Suc-Na(sorbent) is more stable than Pull-Suc.     

Quantitative estimation of essential/toxic elemental levels in the serum of esophagus cancer patients in relation to controls

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Esophageal cancer is a very deadly disease ranking 8th most common cancer in terms of incidence and the 6th highest in terms of mortality both in the...     

Fabrication of visible light active Mn-doped Bi2WO6-GO/MoS2 heterostructure for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The increase in environmental pollution has led to an increased investigation in the development of novel ternary photocatalytic systems for...     

Vermicompost and biochar can alleviate cadmium stress through minimizing its uptake and optimizing biochemical properties in Berberis integerrima bunge

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Organic substrates are gaining popularity as a means of mitigating the negative effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on plant growth. The aim of the present...     

Development of Smart Colorimetric Sensing Films Carbohydrate-Based with Soybean Wax and Purple Cauliflower Anthocyanins for Visual Monitoring of Shrimp Freshness

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Novel pH-colorimetric intelligent films were designed from agar and methylcellulose matrix (AM) with soybean wax (SBW) in several percentages (5, 10, 15,...     

Composites Bioplastic Film for Various Concentration of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) Nanocrystals Towards Physical Properties for High Biodegradability in Soil and Seawater

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The effect of various amount of ZnO nanocrystals (NCs) in composite starch/ZnO (PZ) and starch/chitosan/ZnO (PK) to the physical, structural,...