Is there a commercially viable market for crop insurance in rural Bangladesh?

The study aims to assess the commercial viability of a potential crop insurance market in Bangladesh. In a large scale household survey, agricultural farm households were asked for their preferences for a hypothetical crop insurance scheme using double bounded (DB) contingent valuation (CV) method. Both revenue and production cost based indemnity payment approaches were applied to assess the commercial viability of a crop insurance program assuming a partner-agent (PA) model of insurance supply. Crop insurance is found marginally commercially viable in riverine flood plain areas. The expected indemnity payable consistently exceeds the expected insurance premium receivable by the insurer for the households living in wetland basin and coastal floodplain. We conclude that a uniform structure of crop insurance market does not exist in Bangladesh. The nature of the disaster risks faced by the farm households and the socio-economic characteristics of the rural farm communities need to be taken into careful consideration while designing such an insurance scheme.

Development of zerovalent iron and titania (Fe0/TiO2) composite for oxidative degradation of dichlorophene in aqueous solution: synergistic role of peroxymonosulfate (HSO5−)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Binary composite of zerovalent iron and titanium dioxide (Fe0/TiO2) was synthesized for the catalytic removal of dichlorophene (DCP) in the presence...     

The effects of Environmental Kuznets Curve toward environmental pollution,energy consumption on sustainable economic growth through moderate role of technological innovation

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - South Asia is a hub for encompassing air contamination, with 37 of the top tiers of the 40 most contaminated urban communities around the globe...     

Toxicity,degradation and analysis of the herbicide atrazine

Excessive use of pesticides and herbicides is a major environmental and health concern worldwide. Atrazine, a synthetic triazine herbicide commonly used to control grassy and broadleaf weeds in crops, is a major pollutant of soil and water ecosystems. Atrazine modifies the growth, enzymatic processes and photosynthesis in plants. Atrazine exerts mutagenicity, genotoxicity, defective cell division, erroneous lipid synthesis and hormonal imbalance in aquatic fauna and nontarget animals. It has threatened the sustainability of agricultural soils due to detrimental effects on resident soil microbial communities. The detection of atrazine in soil and reservoir sites is usually made by IR spectroscopy, ELISA, HPLC, UPLC, LC–MS and GC–MS techniques. HPLC/LC–MS and GC–MS techniques are considered the most effective tools, having detection limits up to ppb levels in different matrices. Biodegradation of atrazine by microbial species is increasingly being recognized as an eco-friendly, economically feasible and sustainable bioremediation strategy. This review presents the toxicity, analytical techniques, abiotic degradation and microbial metabolism of atrazine.     

Self-perceived mental well-being amongst Malaysian dentists

Purpose. To assess Malaysian dentists’ perceptions of their mental well-being. Methods. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on a conceptual framework of mental health and well-being model. Two aspects were assessed, namely the physiological (two domains) and the psychological (six domains). Participants were asked to rate their experiences of the aforementioned aspects using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from all the time to never. Results. The response rate was 81%. Most of the dentists (61.7%) perceived having positive mental well-being. Under the physiological aspect, most respondents reported that they were ‘generally happy’ (93.3%), but about 30% stated they were ‘stressed physically and emotionally’. Of the six domains under the psychological aspect, positive well-being was observed in the ‘sense of coherence’ and ‘behavioural stress’ domains. Participants who were above 40 years old, married and had children reported having a more positive mental well-being when compared with their counterparts. Conclusion. Overall, most Malaysian dentists perceived having a positive mental well-being. It is crucial, however, to closely monitor and initiate early interventions for those with negative symptoms to ensure the safe practice of dentistry.     

Solar pyrolysis of scrap tire: optimization of operating parameters

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Pyrolysis of scrap tire using concentrated solar radiation is a novel way to upgrade feedstock. In this investigation, best operating condition for...     

In vitro evaluation of the effect of dibutyl phthalate on electrogenic sodium-linked glucose transport in isolated rabbit ileum

Dibutyl phthalate, a known endocrine disruptor, is a commonly used plasticizer that influences the glucose homeostasis. The present study elucidates the effects of dibutyl phthalate (1 and 5 mmol/L) on electrogenic sodium-linked glucose transport in the isolated rabbit ileum with ‘Ussing chamber.’ Serosal addition of dibutyl phthalate has no effect on glucose-based electrogenic changes in short circuit current, and no effect of dibutyl phthalate is observed on ileal tissue conductance and catalase activity. However, mucosal addition of dibutyl phthalate in the presence of glucose shows a trend of decrease in short circuit current compared with the control. This indicates that dibutyl phthalate may have a deleterious effect on the electrogenic intestinal glucose transport.     

The performance of Electro-Fenton oxidation in the removal of coliform bacteria from landfill leachate

Leachate pollution is one of the main problems in landfilling. Researchers have yet to find an effective solution to this problem. The technology that can be used may differ based on the type of leachate produced. Coliform bacteria were recently reported as one of the most problematic pollutants in semi-aerobic (stabilized) leachate. In the present study, the performance of the Electro-Fenton process in removing coliform from leachate was investigated. The study focused on two types of leachate: Palau Borung landfill leachate with low Coliform content (200 MPN/100 m/L) and Ampang Jajar landfill leachate with high coliform content (>24 × 10⁴ MPN/100 m/L). Optimal conditions for the Electro-Fenton treatment process were applied on both types of leachate. Then, the coliform was examined before and after treatment using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. Accordingly, 100% removal of coliform was obtained at low initial coliform content, whereas 99.9% removal was obtained at high initial coliform content. The study revealed that Electro-Fenton is an efficient process in removing high concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms from stabilized leachate.     

How financial development affects green energy finance? Relationship between environmental regulation and economic performance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The construction of green finance index is a three-tiered process that involves macroeconomic, ecological, and monetary indicators. Therefore, this...