Phytoaccumulation prospects of cadmium and zinc by mycorrhizal plant species growing in industrially polluted soils

The natural vegetation growing along a wastewater channel was subjected to analyze the uptake of Cadmium (Cd) and Zinc (Zn) and their subsequent accumulation in aboveground and underground plant parts. Species which were mycorrhizal and growing in soils receiving industrially contaminated wastewater were collected along with their rhizospheric soil samples. The nearby uncontaminated control (reference) area was also subjected to sampling on similar pattern for comparison. Both Cd and Zn concentrations were significantly higher in soils of the study area as compared to the reference site. Five plant species i.e. Desmostachya bipinnata, Dichanthium annulatum, Malvastrum coromandelianum, Saccharum bengalense, and Trifolium alexandrinum were analyzed for metal uptake. The maximum phytoaccumulation of Cd was observed in Desmostachya bipinnata (20.41 μg g⁻¹) and Dichanthium annulatum (15.22 μg g⁻¹) for shoot and root tissues, respectively. However, Malvastrum coromandelianum revealed maximum Zn accumulation for both the shoot and the root tissues (134 and 140 μg g⁻¹, respectively). The examination of cleared and stained roots of the plants from both the areas studied revealed that all of them were colonized to a lesser or a greater degree by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The Cd hyperaccumulating grasses i.e. Desmostachya bipinnata and Dichanthium annulatum, from study area had smaller root:shoot (R/S) ratio as compared to those growing on reference area indicating a negative pressure of soil metal contamination. The lower R/S ratio in the mycorrhizal roots observed was probably due to increased AM infection and its mediatory role in soil plant transfer of heavy metals. Furthermore, comparatively lower soil pH values in the study areas may have played a key role in making the overall phytoavailability of both the metals. Consequently variations in Cd and Zn tissue concentration among species were observed that also indicate the phytoaccumulation potential of the native species.     

An environmental forensic investigation at a bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility in Kerala,India

Indian statutes identify twelve different types of biomedical wastes and give the treatment and disposal options for each. Since it is not possible for every generator of biomedical waste to go for their own treatment and disposal facility, the small-scale generators take the service of centralized treatment and disposal facilities available to them on payment. In the state of Kerala in India, where the basic health indicators match those of many developed countries, the centralized biomedical waste treatment facility is run by Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kerala, under the banner IMAGE (IMA Goes Eco-Friendly) at a place called “Kanjikode” in the Palakkad District. The facility receives biomedical waste from around 4500 hospitals across the State and an equal number of medical laboratories. The plant incinerates the incinerable waste and the other kind of waste are disinfected and decontaminated. The residual ash and dried sludge are then moved to the landfill area. Recently, the facility was in the middle of a controversy due to the alleged health hazards it posed to the surrounding population. An environmental forensic investigation was carried out at the site to establish the merits of the allegation. The reported study is a part of the investigation where groundwater was analysed for the presence of heavy metals. As the biomedical waste contain heavy metals like Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Hg, the presence of these were analysed to establish contamination of groundwater by the facility. The study area is bounded by Malampuzha dam and Korayar river. Groundwater contaminant transport modelling was done for a 3430 m × 3960 m area surrounding the waste treatment facility using Visual MODFLOW and MODPATH. Ground water flow direction and particle pathlines were computed to track the movement of contaminants. Groundwater samples were collected from the area shown to be polluted by the model, if metals were discharged by the facility, and also from outside this area. Water samples were collected conforming to the guidelines in the “Pollution Crime Forensic Investigation Manual” published by INTERPOL. The collected water samples were tested for heavy metal concentration using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The water sample analysis showed that the groundwater is not contaminated by heavy metal discharge from the biomedical treatment facility.     

Dynamic behaviour of Cd2+ adsorption in equilibrium batch studies by CaCO3 −-rich Corbicula fluminea shell

This work presents the structural and adsorption properties of the CaCO₃ ^?-rich Corbicula fluminea shell as a natural and economic adsorbent to remove Cd ions from aqueous solutions under batch studies. Experiments were conducted with different contact times, various initial concentrations, initial solution pH and serial biosorbent dosage to examine the dynamic characterization of the adsorption and its influence on Cd uptake capacity. The characterization of the C. fluminea shell using SEM/EDX revealed that the adsorbent surface is mostly impregnated by small particles of potentially calcium salts. The dominant Cd adsorption mechanism is strongly pH and concentration dependent. A maximum Cd removal efficiency of 96.20 % was obtained at pH 7 while the optimum adsorbent dosage was observed as 5 g/L. The Langmuir isotherm was discovered to be more suitable to represent the experimental equilibrium isotherm results with higher correlation coefficients (R ²?>?0.98) than Freundlich (R ²?<?0.97).The correlation coefficient values (p?<?0.01) indicated the superiority of the Langmuir isotherm over the Freundlich isotherm.     

Wastewater and sludge management and research in Oman: An overview

It is well recognized that management of wastewater and sludge is a critical environmental issue in many countries. Wastewater treatment and sludge production take place under different technical, economic, and social contexts, thus requiring different approaches and involving different solutions. In most cases, a regular and environmentally safe wastewater treatment and associated sludge management requires the development of realistic and enforceable regulations, as well as treatment systems appropriate to local circumstances. The main objective of this paper is to provide useful information about the current wastewater and sludge treatment, management, regulations, and research in Oman. Based on the review and discussion, the wastewater treatment and sludge management in Oman has been evolving over the years. Further, the land application of sewage sludge should encourage revision of existing standards, regulations, and policies for the management and beneficial use of sewage sludge in Oman.

Implications: Wastewater treatment and sludge management in Oman have been evolving over the years. Sludge utilization has been a challenge due to its association with human waste. Therefore, composting of sewage sludge is the best option in agriculture activities. Sludge and wastewater utilization can add up positively in the economic aspects of the country in terms of creating jobs and improving annual income rate. The number of research projects done on wastewater reuse and other ongoing ones related to the land application of sewage sludge should encourage revision of existing standards, regulations, and policies for the management and beneficial use of sewage sludge in Oman.     

Exploring chemical analysis of vermicompost of various oil palm fibre wastes

The aim of this work was to study the physical and chemical properties of different oil palm wastes, viz. empty fruit bunch (EFB), oil palm frond (OPF) and oil palm trunk (OPT). A study (84 days duration) was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of an exotic earthworm species (epigeic-African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus euginae)) for the decomposition of different types of oil palm wastes (EFB, OPT and OPF) into valuable vermicompost. The decrease in earthworm’s biomass gain for EFB, OPT and OPF may be due to exhaustion of worm feed in vermicomposters. The percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in vermicompost was found to increase while pH and total organic carbon declined as a function of the vermicomposting period. The vermicompost obtained showed an increase in heavy metal content for all the reactors, but levels were still in the range of nutrient in the vermicompost. The data reveal that vermicomposting (using African Nightcrawler) is a suitable technology for the decomposition of oil palm wastes, especially EFB into value-added material.     

Biosorption and biodegradation of Acid Orange 7 by Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL: optimization by response surface methodological approach

Reactive dyes account for one of the major sources of dye wastes in textile effluent. In this study, decolorization of the monoazo dye, Acid Orange 7 (AO7) by the Enterococcus faecalis strain ZL that isolated from a palm oil mill effluent treatment plant has been investigated. Decolorization efficiency of azo dye is greatly affected by the types of nutrients and the size of inoculum used. In this work, one-factor-at-a-time (method and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize these operational factors and also to study the combined interaction between them. Analysis of AO7 decolorization was done using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, desorption study, UV–Vis spectral analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The optimum condition via RSM for the color removal of AO7 was found to be as follows: yeast extract, 0.1 %?w/v, glycerol concentration of 0.1 %?v/v, and inoculum density of 2.5 %?v/v at initial dye concentration of 100 mg/L at 37 °C. Decolorization efficiency of 98 % was achieved in only 5 h. The kinetic of AO7 decolorization was found to be first order with respect to dye concentration with a k value of 0.87/h. FTIR, desorption study, UV–Vis spectral analysis, FESEM, and HPLC findings indicated that the decolorization of AO7 was mainly due to the biosorption as well as biodegradation of the bacterial cells. In addition, HPLC analyses also showed the formation of sulfanilic acid as a possible degradation product of AO7 under facultative anaerobic condition. This study explored the ability of E. faecalis strain ZL in decolorizing AO7 by biosorption as well as biodegradation process.     

Thermodynamic analysis of metals recycling out of waste printed circuit board through secondary copper smelting

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - In this paper, a detailed thermodynamic analysis of processing of electronic waste (e-waste), particularly printed circuit boards (PCB), through...     

Groundwater quality assessment in the urban-west region of Zanzibar Island

This paper highlights the levels of anions (nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, bromide, chloride, and fluoride) and cations (potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium) in selected springs and groundwater sources in the urban-west region of Zanzibar Island. The levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) were also studied. Thirty water samples were collected in December 2012 from various types of water sources, which included closed hand-dug wells (CHDW), open hand-dug wells (OHDW), springwater (SW), public bore wells (PBW), and bore wells owned by private individuals (BWP), and analyzed after filtration and sometimes dilution. The cations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The anions were analyzed by chemically suppressed ion chromatography (IC). The ranges of the levels of the investigated parameters were as follows: Na 13.68–3,656 mg L^?1, K 2.66–583 mg L^?1, Mg 0.63–131.10 mg L^?1, Ca 16.79–189.9 mg L^?1, Cl^? 8.61–4,340.97 mg L^?1, F^? 0–1.02 mg L^?1, Br^? 0–10.88 mg L^?1, NO₃ ^? 0.18–342.4 mg L^?1, NO₂ ^? 0–1.39, SO₄ ^2? 4.43–534.02 mg L^?1, TDS 7–6,380 mg L^?1, and SAR 0.63–50. Except fluoride, most of the studied parameters in the water samples had concentrations beyond the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO). The elevated concentrations are a result of seepage of contaminated water from on-site septic tanks, pit latrines, landfill leachates, fertilizer applications, and domestic effluents. These results should alert domestic water stakeholders in Zanzibar to the urgent task of initiating a quick mitigation response to control these alarming water risks.     

Oxidative stress,glutathione level and antioxidant response to heavy metals in multi-resistant pathogen,Candida tropicalis

In this study, we explored the multiple heavy metal-resistant yeast isolated from heavy metal-polluted environment. The isolated yeast showed maximum growth at 30 °C, pH 7.0, and the strain was identified as Candida tropicalis through 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence analysis. Yeast cells grew well in medium containing different concentrations of heavy metal ions [CdCl₂, Pb(NO₃)₂, NaAsO₂, CuSO₄ and K₂Cr₂O₇]. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against different metal ions was ranged from 5 to 19 mM, and the metal resistance value against each metal observed by yeast cells was 5 mM (Cr), 10 mM (Cd), 15 mM (As), 14 mM (Cu) and 19 mM (Pb) and increased in the following order: Pb > Cu > As ≥ Cd > Cr. The total cellular glutathione, GSH/GSSG redox couple and metallothioneins like protein (MT) were assayed by growing cultures for 24 h and exposed to 100 mg/L of each heavy metal ion. Remarkable increase in γ-glutamylcysteinylglycine (GSH) level was determined in arsenic and cadmium treatment followed by chromium, lead and copper. Stressed cells had much more oxidized GSH than unstressed cells. GSH/GSSG ratio was significantly increased in cadmium and copper treatment in contrast to chromium, arsenic and lead. Statistical analysis revealed significantly higher cysteine level in all metal-treated samples as compared to control. Antioxidant glutathione transferase activity was not detected in metal-treated and untreated yeast samples. One-dimensional electrophoresis of proteins revealed marked differences in banding pattern of heavy metal-exposed yeast samples. A prominent 20 kDa band was observed in all treated samples suggesting that some differential proteins could be over-expressed during heavy metal treatment and might be involved in cell resistance mechanisms.     

Preconcentration and determination of lead and cadmium levels in blood samples of adolescent workers consuming smokeless tobacco products in Pakistan

The present study was aimed to evaluate the cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) levels in the blood samples of adolescent boys, chewing different smokeless tobacco (SLT) products in Pakistan. For comparative purpose, boys of the same age group (12–15 years), not consumed any SLT products were selected as referents. To determine trace levels of Cd and Pb in blood samples, a preconcentration method, vortex-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction (VLLME) has been developed, prior to analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The hydrophobic chelates of Cd and Pb with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate were extracted into the fine droplets of ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, while nonionic surfactant, Triton X-114 was used as a dispersing medium. The main factors affecting the recoveries of Cd and Pb, such as concentration of APDC, centrifugation time, volume of IL and TX-114, were investigated in detail. It was also observed that adolescent boys who consumed different SLT products have 2- to 3-fold higher levels of Cd and Pb in their blood samples as compared to referent boys (p?<?0.001).