Environmental factors affecting the frequency of road traffic accidents: a case study of sub-urban area of Pakistan

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are among the life-threatening issues facing rural as well as sub-/urban communities. Several factors contribute to RTAs ranging from human to technical and natural/environmental impacts. Anthropogenic air pollution and corresponding environmental factors also increase the probability of RTAs. Current study reports the relationship of the weather conditions to RTAs. The study establishes the relevancy of different weather conditions like rainfall, temperature, fog, and wind storm with the incidences of RTAs in rural and urban settings of Vehari, Punjab—Pakistan. The results of the study showed that rainfall, severe coldness, fog, and heat conditions were directly related with the occurrence of RTAs. The percentage of RTAs which occurred due to fog, rainfall, temperature, and other weather-related factors was 34, 25, 21, and 20%, respectively. The age of the driver significantly correlated (R²?=?0.60) with RTAs; the drivers in the age group 40–60 years caused the least RTAs during their drive. Since the smaller vehicles were involved in maximum RTAs, it relates negatively (R²?=?0.82) to vehicles power. Among different vehicles motor bikes were involved in most (42%) of the reported RTAs. Therefore, during severe weather conditions, vehicles with smaller size and young drivers must be dealt with carefully while interacting (crossing, overtaking, and maneuvering) on the roads regardless of rural or urban conditions. Factors including civic sense, traffic education, vehicle size, drivers’ maturity, road conditions, and environmental impacts may be considered while designing traffic rules and traffic aware campaigns specific for developing countries such as Pakistan.

     

Hydrous ferric oxide nanoparticles hosted porous polyethersulfone adsorptive membrane: chromium (VI) adsorptive studies and its applicability for water/wastewater treatment

In this present study, adsorptive membranes for Cr(VI) ion removal were prepared by blending polyethersulfone (PES) with hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) nanoparticles (NPs). The effects of HFO NPs to PES weight ratio (0–1.5) on the physicochemical properties of the resultant HFO/PES adsorptive membranes were investigated with respect to the surface chemistry and roughness as well as structural morphologies using different analytical instruments. The adsorptive performance of the HFO NPs/PES membranes was studied via batch adsorption experiments under various conditions by varying solution pH, initial concentration of Cr(VI), and contact time. The results showed that the membrane made of HFO/PES at a weight ratio of 1.0 exhibited the highest adsorption capacity which is 13.5 mg/g. Isotherm and kinetic studies revealed that the mechanism is best fitted to the Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order model. For filtration of Cr(VI), the best promising membranes showed improved water flux (629.3 L/m² h) with Cr(VI) ion removal of 75%. More importantly, the newly developed membrane maintained the Cr(VI) concentration below the maximum contamination level (MCL) for up to 9 h.

     

Seizure modeling of Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solution by chemically modified sugarcane bagasse fly ash: isotherms, kinetics, and column study

Heavy metal pollution is a common environmental problem all over the world. The purpose of the research is to examine the applicability of bagasse fly ash (BFA)—an agricultural waste of sugar industry used for the synthesis of zeolitic material. The zeolitic material are used for the uptake of Pb(II) and Cd(II) heavy metal. Bagasse fly ash is used as a native material for the synthesis of zeolitic materials by conventional hydrothermal treatment without (conventional zeolitic bagasse fly ash (CZBFA)) and with electrolyte (conventional zeolitic bagasse fly ash in electrolyte media (ECZBFA)) media. Heavy metal ions Pb(II) and Cd(II) were successfully seized from aqueous media using these synthesized zeolitic materials. In this study, the zeolitic materials were well characterized by different instrumental methods such as Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, XRF, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopic microphotographs. The presence of analcime, phillipsite, and zeolite P in adsorbents confirms successful conversion of native BFA into zeolitic materials. Seizure modeling of Pb(II) and Cd(II) was achieved by batch sorption experiments, isotherms, and kinetic studies. These data were used to compare and evaluate the zeolitic materials as potential sorbents for the uptake of heavy metal ions from an aqueous media. The Langmuir isotherm correlation coefficient parameters best fit the equilibrium data which indicate the physical sorption. Pseudo-second-order and intra-particle diffusion model matches best which indicates that the rate of sorption was controlled by film diffusion. The column studies were performed for the practical function of sorbents, and breakthrough curves were obtained, which revealed higher sorption capacity as compared to batch method. Synthesized zeolitic material (CZBFA and ECZBFA), a low-cost sorbent, was proven as potential sorbent for the uptake of Pb(II) and Cd(II) heavy metal ions.     

Soil Remediation Techniques at Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites

The A&WMA Critical Review entitled “Soil Remediation Techniques at Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Sites” was presented by Ronald C. Sims, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Dr. Sims presented his review at the 83rd Air & Waste Management Association Annual Meeting, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in June 1990. Prepared discussions presented during the Critical Review session are published here, along with some closing remarks by Dr. Sims. Ronald Harkov, Chairman of the Critical Review Subcommittee of the Publications Committee, served as moderator of the 1990 A&WMA Critical Review session.     

Calcium invigorates the cadmium-stressed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L. plants by strengthening their photosynthetic system

Introduction  

Cadmium (Cd) in plants interrupts numerous metabolic processes and reduces the water and nutrient uptake that cause chlorosis, growth retardation, and ultimately plant death. Response of Brassica napus L. to calcium (Ca) enrichment in growth medium for reducing Cd toxicity stress by strengthening the photosynthesis organelles and their functionality was explored in this study.     

Unveiling the liaison between human capital,trade openness,and environmental sustainability for BRICS economies: Robust panel-data estimation

Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions pose severe threats to environmental sustainability. A sustainable environment is a prerequisite for long-term socioeconomic growth and human survival. Green technology is brought about by a country's economic and financial openness, and education provides knowledge to the public and labor, contributing to environmental sustainability. Thus, this research aims to unveil the liaison between human capital, trade openness, and environmental quality for Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) countries from 1998 to 2018. Several econometric methods, including the Driscoll–Kraay standard errors and the Dumitrescu–Hurlin causality approaches, reveal long-run and causal relationships among the modelled indicators. The Driscoll–Kraay standard error results show that human capital is negatively related to carbon dioxide emissions (CO₂ emissions). Imposing high tariffs and excise duties, changing tax structures, discouraging the inflow of polluted commodities, and encouraging green trade can help BRICS combat high environmental pollution. The results show that a one-point increase in human capital in models 1 and 2 can reduce CO₂ emissions by 1.5279 and 0.1538 points, respectively. In contrast, a 1% growth in trade can lead to a rise in CO₂ emissions of 0.3731% and 0.2384%, respectively. Similarly, financial development and energy consumption result in high CO₂ emissions in the long run. Moreover, a feedback effect of the human capital index on CO₂ emissions is discovered. As a result of the findings, the government and responsible authorities should provide financial support and encourage investments in the region's energy-resourceful and sustainable green projects.     

Impact of mining industries on the groundwater level fluctuation in Singrauli coalfield area by using remote sensing and GIS,India

The coal mining industries influence hydro-geological parameters, which affect the aquifer recharge in the coal mining areas. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of various hydro-geological parameters on fluctuation of groundwater level in the study area. The various hydro-geological parameters such as soil, geology, drainage pattern, elevation and slope have been considered to accomplish the objective. A comparative analysis was performed by comparing the groundwater level fluctuation (WLF) map with the GIS-based various hydro-geological parameter maps to assess the combined influence of different hydro-geological parameters on groundwater level fluctuation. A total of eighty-six (86) dug-wells were chosen to monitor the level of the groundwater for around ten blocks of Singrauli coalfield, and these wells were examined during the months of dry and wet seasons for 2016. Based on the comparative analysis between the WLF map and thematic maps of various hydro-geological parameters, it has been found that WLF in the south-western and some portions of the north-eastern showed moderate to a higher value. This may be because most of the non-hilly areas come under gentle to moderate slope category, with lower elevation in the area forming the suitable hydro-geological condition for recharging groundwater. It was observed that the northwest, south-east and central part of the study area showed lower WLF, which may be due to the presence of overburden dump, presence of higher elevation and steep slope. Thus, the combined effect of slope, elevation, geology, drainage and mining activities on the WLF in the study region is moderate.     

Effects of water shortage in Kabul River network on the plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan

Kabul River is a shared resource of Pakistan and Afghanistan and is a major source of economy for both countries. It is used for irrigation, power generation, fishery, hunting, and recreation. This study explored human-induced impact on Kabul River and its associated wetlands. For an in-depth study, the area situated between the two tributaries of Kabul River, i.e., Shalam and Naguman Rivers, was selected. The focus of the study was to find out reduction in the wetland areas, its causes, and associated impacts. For this purpose, a survey was conducted in 10 villages selected randomly in 10 union councils. The study revealed that anthropogenic activities, such as wetland farming, grazing residential encroachment, and industrial development, have caused severe alteration in the wetland of the study areas. The results revealed that before the 1990s, 33.55% area of the study area was wetland. Due to regular decrease in the flow of the Kabul River System and human encroachment, it has engulfed 68.40% of the total wetland leaving behind only 10.60% wetland. This can be termed as a big ecological disturbance. In the long run, this will have negative effects on both the countries. It is therefore recommended to give proper attention to this important wetland, positioning between Shalam and Naguman Rivers and to conserve it. One of the solutions is to regulate the natural flow of Kabul River.     

Performance evaluation of 1-D numerical model HEC-RAS towards modeling sediment depositions and sediment flushing operations for the reservoirs

Sediment inflow to the reservoir is a key factor to calculate life of the reservoir. Flushing is a very useful technique in order to enhance the life of reservoir. From the literature review, 14 reservoirs were considered where flushing has already been practiced and only 6 reservoirs were found successful in flushing. The others were found partially flushed. In this research, data of three successfully flushed reservoirs namely Baira reservoir (India), Gebidem reservoir (Switzerland), and Gmund reservoir (Austria) were used to run 1-D numerical model HEC-RAS. In the first phase, the longitudinal profiles of delta were modeled and calibrated with observed sediment depositions. In the presence of available data of discharges and respective reservoir levels, the modeled deltas were used for flushing the deltas. With the help of modeled delta and corresponding flushing discharges, sediment deposition and flushing durations were computed. The simulated flushed durations were 31, 102, and 180 h for Baira, Gebidem, and Gmund reservoirs, respectively. The simulated flushed durations were found close to observed durations. Hence, the use of 1-D numerical model HEC-RAS is encouraged for modeling of sediment deposits and flushing operations.