Bioenergy production from chicken manure: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Adopting waste-to-wealth strategies and circular economy models can help reduce biowaste and add value. For instance, poultry farming is an essential source of...     

Rice straw for energy and value-added products in China: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The rise of global waste and the decline of fossil fuels are calling for recycling waste into energy and materials. For example, rice straw, a by-product of rice...     

Evaluation of the efficiency of chlorpyrifos-ethyl remediation by Methylobacterium radiotolerans and Microbacterium arthrosphaerae using response of some biochemical biomarkers

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study reveals out detoxifying and antioxidant enzyme response of Gammarus pulex exposed/polluted to chlorpyrifos-ethyl insecticide before and...     

Preparation and characterization of mesoporous γ-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> recovered from aluminum cans waste and its use in the dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether

The present study includes synthesis of two γ-Al₂O₃ samples from waste aluminum cans using a simple precipitation method. Precipitation was carried out using two different precipitating agents (i.e. NaOH and NH₄OH). The two prepared alumina samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N₂ adsorption–desorption techniques. Surface acidity of γ-Al₂O₃ samples was measured by adsorption of two different probe molecules (i.e. pyridine and dimethyl pyridine) followed by desorption measurements using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Catalytic activity of the two prepared alumina samples towards the dehydration of methanol (to dimethyl ether) was studied in a fixed bed reactor at 300 °C. For comparison reasons, commercial γ-Al₂O₃ sample was, also, tested for the same catalytic reaction under the same conditions. Results showed that the alumina sample prepared using NaOH as a precipitating agent exhibited a better catalytic activity and stability compared with that prepared using NH₄OH and showed a similar activity as the commercial γ-Al₂O₃ sample.     

Efficient photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye using ZnO/graphitic C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanocomposites synthesized by microwave

Semiconductor photocatalysis is a solution to issues of environmental pollution and energy shortage because photocatalysis can use solar energy to degrade pollutants. The photocatalytic activity can be improved by using composites of ZnO and other semiconductors. Here, composites of ZnO and polymeric graphite-like C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄) with high photocatalytic activities were prepared by microwave synthesis. Products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B was tested under irradiation from a Xe lamp. Results show that adding graphite-like C₃N₄ promotes the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. Composites with 1.0 wt% g-C₃N₄ showed the best photodegradation efficiency, and the reaction average energy was approximately 33.71 kJ mol^?1.     

Big data and predictive analytics to optimise social and environmental performance of Islamic banks

Environment Systems and Decisions - Regardless of known as environment-friendly entities, Islamic banks indirectly impact the environment through their clients’ engagement and slow response...     

Antimicrobial Activity of the Chitosan Extracted from Metapenaeus stebbingi Shell Wastes

In the study, chitosan chemically extracted from Metapenaeus stebbingi shells obtained from shrimp processing factories and commercial chitosan were used as antimicrobial materials. Antimicrobial activities of the chitosans dissolved in acetic, lactic, formic and hydrochloric acid at different concentrations (1.00, 0.50, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.05%) were tested in vitro by using the disk diffusion method with standard microorganisms (Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli 1, Escherichia coli 2, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterecoccus faecalis, Aeromonas caviae). On the other hand, gentamicin was used as positive control. Antimicrobial test results indicated that chitosan demonstrated different effects depending on the chitosan concentration, solvent material and bacteria type. In the present study, both the extracted and commercial chitosans were observed to have antimicrobial effects on nearly all types of the bacteria.     

The value of indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel

Past global efforts at dealing with the problem of global warming concentrated on mitigation, with the aim of reducing and possibly stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere. With the slow progress in achieving this, adaptation was viewed as a viable option to reduce the vulnerability to the anticipated negative impacts of global warming. It is increasingly realized that mitigation and adaptation should not be pursued independent of each other but as complements. This has resulted in the recent calls for the integration of adaptation into mitigation strategies. However, integrating mitigation and adaptation into climate change concerns is not a completely new idea in the African Sahel. The region is characterized by severe and frequent droughts with records dating back into centuries. The local populations in this region, through their indigenous knowledge systems, have developed and implemented extensive mitigation and adaptation strategies that have enabled them reduce their vulnerability to past climate variability and change, which exceed those predicted by models of future climate change. However, this knowledge is rarely taken into consideration in the design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies. This paper highlights some indigenous mitigation and adaptation strategies that have been practiced in the Sahel, and the benefits of integrating indigenous knowledge into formal climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Incorporating indigenous knowledge can add value to the development of sustainable climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies that are rich in local content, and planned in conjunction with local people.     

Synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of 3, 4-annelated coumarin-pyrimido-pyrimidine systems

3,4-Annelated coumarin-pyrimido-pyrimidine systems (7-imino-8-mercapto-7H-5-oxa-7a,9,12-triaza-benzo[a]anthracen-6-one 2 and 8-hydroxy-7-imino-10-methyl-7H-5-oxa-7a,9,12-triaza-benzo[a]anthracen-6-one 3) were synthesized by the action of 4-amino-2-mercapto-pyrimidine, 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methylpyrimidine, respectively, on 4-chlorocoumarin-3-carbonitrile 1. The synthesized compounds were examined for in vitro antibacterial activity against 4 bacterial cultures: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Aeromonas Salmonicida. The antibacterial activity of synthesized compounds 2 and 3 was compared to antibacterial activity of novobiocin as a standard drug.     

Determination of pesticides in apples,grapes and apple juice from a Kosovo market by gradient liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Apple, grape, and apple juice were analyzed for pesticides using a multireaction mode (MRM) method in samples taken from a Kosovo market. With this method it was possible to analyze about 100 pesticides in the ESI mode. In these samples some types of pesticides were found, but most of them did not exceed the maximum tolerance levels. In apple samples, six pesticides were detected but only three of them were in sufficient quantitites. Dimethoat was below the limit, while acephate and imazalil exceeded the limit. In grape and apple juice samples, all of pesticides which were found did not exceed the maximum tolerable limits.