Approaches to prevent and control Campylobacter spp. colonization in broiler chickens: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Campylobacter, Gram-negative bacteria, is the most common cause of acute bacterial enteritis in human beings, both in developing and developed...     

Enhancement of the daily performance of solar still by exhaust gases under hot and cold climate conditions

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A study is presented on the enhancement of solar still (SS) performance by using chimney exhaust gases (EGs) passing through chimney channels under...     

Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptotic induction in microglial BV-2 cells treated with sodium arsenate

The treatment of microglial BV-2 cells with sodium arsenate(As(V):0.1-400 μmol/L — 48 hr)induces a dose-dependent response.The neurotoxic effects of high concentrations of As(V)(100,200 and 400 μmol/L) are characterized by increased levels of mitochondrial complexesⅠ,Ⅱ,and Ⅳ followed by increased superoxide anion generation.Moreover,As(V) triggers an apoptotic mode of cell death,demonstrated by an apoptotic SubG1 peak,associated with an alteration of plasma membrane integrity.There is also a decrease in transmembrane mitochondrial potential and mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate ATP.It is therefore tempting to speculate that As(V) triggers mitochondrial dysfunction,which may lead to defective oxidative phosphorylation subsequently causing mitochondrial oxidative damage,which in turn induces an apoptotic mode of cell death.     

The crestline approach for assessing the development of coastal flooding due to sea level rise

One of the most pressing issues in studying the impacts of sea level rise (SLR) triggered by climate change is understanding the development of the hazard of permanent coastal flooding. The issue persists because available approaches are based on the mapping of the inundated area where they explore the coastal flooding development across terrain elevations, that is—horizontally. In addition, they overlook the existing structures along or in the vicinity of the coastline, which have inherent hydraulic properties that may affect the development of such flooding. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel approach for assessing the development of permanent coastal flooding due to SLR at cross sections along the coastline, that is—vertically, in full consideration of underlying hydraulic properties of the existing coastline. An approach was developed using analogy of existing coastline to a contiguous weir. This approach was named crestline approach and was developed as a four step GIS-based approach that could be applied at any coastal zone. An example application on one of the top ranked cities in the world prone to the SLR threat has been provided to illustrate exactly how to apply the crestline approach. The novelty of this approach lies in its ability to accurately identify the specific locations where coastal flooding will initiate, in full consideration of existing natural/manmade coastal structures. This study is significant for the opportunities it provides to analysts and decision makers to better understand the development of permanent coastal flooding.     

Towards sustainability in urban water: a life cycle analysis of the urban water system of Alexandria City,Egypt

Urban water authorities and water planers in many countries are struggling to satisfy the growing urban water and sanitation demands, while at the same time achieving sustainability of the urban water system. This research focused on the assessment of the environmental impact of today's Alexandria's urban water system and on the identification of options to improve the sustainability of the system. Therefore, a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was used. The urban water system was modelled using SimaPro software, and the impacts of various options on the system were analyzed based on the Eco-indicator 99 assessment method. The results show that the highest impact in today's system is generated by the disposal of primary treated wastewater (68% of the total impact) and by high-energy-consuming water treatment plants (18% of the total impact). The research assessed different scenarios for improving the environmental performance of the system and a paradigm shift (decentralization and separation at-source of different kinds of household wastewater) was found to be the preferred long-term scenario.     

The Relationship Between Iodine, Chlorinity, Ph, Reactive Phosphate, Nitrite and Organic Matter in the Coastal Water of Alexandria

Water samples were taken from 12 stations at El-Dikheila Harbour, El-Mex Bay, Western Harbour, Qayet Bey outfall, Eastern Harbour, El-Ibrahemiya, Gleem, Sidi Bishr and Mandara, during January, April, August and November 1995. the area lies between latitude 31˚ 8' and 31˚ 17' North and longitude 29˚ 47' and 30˚ East. the annual mean of chlorinity (11.69-20.5%₀), pH (7.9-8.3), reactive phosphate (0.31-2.24 μM), nitrite (0.18-1.98 μM), oxidizable organic matter (1.97-8.95 mgO₂ 1^-1), iodide (21.14-46.74 μg 1^-1) and iodate (4.61-2.04 μg 1^-1) were measured. Iodide content in water is three times higher than iodate. Iodide is positively correlated with chlorinity (r=0.65) and iodate (r=0.45), while it is negatively correlated with nitrite (r= -0.72), oxidizable organic matter (r= -0.55) and pH (r= -0.4).     

Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in Ismailia canal water

The biodegradation of hydrocarbons was performed in refinery wastewater obtained by natural microbial flora in Ismailia canal water. About 87% of hydrocarbons were degraded after 9 days under simulated natural conditions. It was found that the addition of fuel oil to the canal water, which already contained significant amounts of refinery wastewater, retarded biological degradation. Percentage of degradation was found to be 67%. This increase in the hydrocarbons concentration affects dramatically on the generation rate of microorganisms present naturally in canal water.     

Phosphorus in Sediments of Lake Edku, Egypt. The Influence of Chemical and Grain Size Parameters

Lake Edku is one of the Nile Delta shallow brackish water coastal lagoons with communications with the southeastern Mediterranean.

Sediment samples were recovered from the top 10 cm of the lake bottom to study principally their total, inorganic and organic phosphorus. Related sediment parameters such as particle size, organic carbon, carbonate and iron contents were also studied in detail.

It is shown that the lake sediments are generally a sand-silt-clay mud enriched with carbonate (11.4-42%), organic carbon (0.9-11.4%) and iron (1.6-5.6%).

The total phosphorus content in these sediments is 503-1329 μg/g, inorganic phosphorus, 468-954 μg/g and organic phosphorus, 35-526 μg/g.     

Anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste combining two pretreatment modalities, high temperature microwave and hydrogen peroxide

In order to enhance anaerobic digestion (AD) of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), pretreatment combining two modalities, microwave (MW) heating in presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were investigated. The main pretreatment variables affecting the characteristics of the OFMSW were temperature (T) via MW irradiation and supplemental water additions of 20% and 30% (SWA20 and SW30). Subsequently, the focus of this study was to evaluate mesophilic batch AD performance in terms of biogas production, as well as changes in the characteristics of the OFMSW post digestion. A high MW induced temperature range (115-175 °C) was applied, using sealed vessels and a bench scale MW unit equipped with temperature and pressure controls. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests were conducted on the whole OFMSW as well as the liquid fractions. The whole OFMSW pretreated at 115 °C and 145 °C showed 4-7% improvement in biogas production over untreated OFMSW (control). When pretreated at 175 °C, biogas production decreased due to formation of refractory compounds, inhibiting the digestion. For the liquid fraction of OFMSW, the effect of pretreatment on the cumulative biogas production (CBP) was more pronounced for SWA20 at 145 °C, with a 26% increase in biogas production after 8 days of digestion, compared to the control. When considering the increased substrate availability in the liquid fraction after MW pretreatment, a 78% improvement in biogas production vs. the control was achieved. Combining MW and H₂O₂ modalities did not have a positive impact on OFMSW stabilization and enhanced biogas production. In general, all samples pretreated with H₂O₂ displayed a long lag phase and the CBP was usually lower than MW irradiated only samples. First order rate constant was calculated.     

Seawalls as a response to coastal erosion and flooding: a case study from Grande Comore,Comoros (West Indian Ocean)

Regional Environmental Change - Many coasts are eroding. In the Comoros, as in many other small island developing states (SIDS), communities frequently respond to coastal erosion by building...