Selection of an appropriate waste-to-energy conversion technology for Dhaka City,Bangladesh

Solid waste disposal poses a significant problem, as it leads to land pollution if openly dumped, water pollution if dumped in low lands and air pollution if burnt. Moreover, the scarcity of land and increase in land prices especially in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh create the problems of developing new landfill sites. Realising the existing and future impacts of waste disposal issues, the analytic hierarchy process model was applied to select an appropriate Waste-to-Energy (WTE) conversion technology for household waste of Dhaka-Mirpur Cantonment area. Three alternatives, namely, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and plasma gasification (PG) technologies and nine criteria under three aspects (technological, environmental and financial) were chosen for comparison. The analysis revealed that PG is the most appropriate WTE conversion technology in the study area. The selected PG technology has a relatively small footprint; it can treat unsorted waste and can produce good-quality synthetic gas without generating extremely toxic by-products.     

Water Resources Modeling of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna River Basins Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data1

Nishat, Bushra and S.M. Mahbubur Rahman, 2009. Water Resources Modeling of the Ganges‐Brahmaputra‐Meghna River Basins Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1313‐1327. Abstract: Large‐scale water resources modeling can provide useful insights on future water availability scenarios for downstream nations in anticipation of proposed upstream water resources projects in large international river basins (IRBs). However, model set up can be challenging due to the large amounts of data requirement on both static states (soils, vegetation, topography, drainage network, etc.) and dynamic variables (rainfall, streamflow, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, etc.) over the basin from multiple nations and data collection agencies. Under such circumstances, satellite remote sensing provides a more pragmatic and convenient alternative because of the vantage of space and easy availability from a single data platform. In this paper, we demonstrate a modeling effort to set up a water resources management model, MIKE BASIN, over the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (GBM) river basins. The model is set up with the objective of providing Bangladesh, the lowermost riparian nation in the GBM basins, a framework for assessing proposed water diversion scenarios in the upstream transboundary regions of India and deriving quantitative impacts on water availability. Using an array of satellite remote sensing data on topography, vegetation, and rainfall from the transboundary regions, we demonstrate that it is possible to calibrate MIKE BASIN to a satisfactory level and predict streamflow in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers at the entry points of Bangladesh at relevant scales of water resources management. Simulated runoff for the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers follow the trends in the rated discharge for the calibration period. However, monthly flow volume differs from the actual rated flow by (?) 8% to (+) 20% in the Ganges basin, by (?) 15 to (+) 12% in the Brahmaputra basin, and by (?) 15 to (+) 19% in the Meghna basin. Our large‐scale modeling initiative is generic enough for other downstream nations in IRBs to adopt for their own modeling needs.     

Ozonation of metoprolol in aqueous solution: ozonation by-products and mechanisms of degradation

This study investigated the degradation pathway of metoprolol, a widely used β-blocker, in the ozonation via the identification of generated ozonation by-products (OPs). Structure elucidation of OPs was performed using HPLC coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight high-resolution mass spectrometry. Seven OPs were identified, and four of these have not been reported elsewhere. Identified OPs of metoprolol included aromatic ring breakdown by-products; aliphatic chain degraded by-products and aromatic ring mono-, di-, and tetrahydroxylated derivatives. Based on the detected OPs, metoprolol could be degraded through aromatic ring opening reaction via reaction with ozone (O₃) and degradation of aliphatic chain and aromatic ring via reaction with hydroxyl radical (?OH).     

Nested numerical scheme in a polar coordinate shallow water model for the coast of Bangladesh

This study is concerned with the development of storm surge model to predict water level accurately due to surge associated with a cyclone along the coast of Bangladesh. Considering the funnel shape of the Bay of Bengal, coastal bending and the existence of off-shore islands, a vertically integrated model in cylindrical polar coordinate system is developed using nested numerical scheme. A fine mesh scheme capable of incorporating coastal bending and offshore islands properly in the numerical scheme is nested into a coarse mesh scheme covering up to 15° N latitude of the Bay of Bengal. The developed model is used to estimate water levels at different coastal and island stations associated with a few storms that hit the coast of Bangladesh. The computed surge levels compared well with observed ones and predicted surge levels investigated with different approaches.     

A critical review of the emerging research on the detection and assessment of microplastics pollution in the coastal,marine, and urban Bangladesh

● Coastal and marine regions are the most studied for microplastic pollution. ● Tourism is a major cause of microplastic pollution in coastal regions. ● Sediments contain larger microplastics while fish ingest smaller microplastics. ● Inland lakes, rivers, and freshwater fish are impacted by microplastic pollution. ● Microplastics are found in edible salts, however, presence is less in refined salt. The research on the extent and effects of microplastics pollution in the Global South is only getting started. Bangladesh is a South Asian country with one of the fastest growing economies in the world, however, such exponential economic growth has also increased the pollution threats to its natural and urban environment. In this paper, we reviewed the recent primary research on the assessment of the extent of microplastics pollution in Bangladesh. From the online databases, we developed a compilation of emerging research articles that detected and quantified microplastics in different coastal, marine, and urban environments in Bangladesh. Most of the studies focused on the coastal environment (e.g., beach sediment) and marine fish, while limited data were available for the urban environment. We also discussed the relationship of the type of anthropogenic activities with the observed microplastic pollution. The Cox’s Bazar sea beach in south-east Bangladesh experienced microplastics pollution due to tourism activities, while fishing and other anthropogenic activities led to microplastics pollution in the Bay of Bengal. While microplastics larger than 1 mm were prevalent in the beach sediments, smaller microplastics with size below 0.5 mm were prevalent in marine fish samples. Moreover, the differences in microplastic abundance, size, shape, color, and polymer type found were depended on the sampling sites and relevant anthropogenic activities. It is imperative to identify major sources of microplastics pollution in both natural and urban environment, determine potential environmental and human health effects, and develop mitigating and prevention strategies for reducing microplastics pollution.     

Are there any effects of eco-climatic factors on freshwater prawn reproduction: a study on monsoon river prawn,Macrobrachium malcolmsonii

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Prawns are regarded as delicious food items and a source of income as it is the salient exportable fishery item of Bangladesh and a number of other...     

Landfill leachate treatment by electrochemical oxidation

This study investigated the electrochemical oxidation of stabilized leachate from Pulau Burung semi-aerobic sanitary landfill by conducting laboratory experiments with sodium sulfate Na₂SO₄ (as electrolyte) and graphite carbon electrodes. The control parameters were influent COD, current density and reaction time, while the responses were BOD removal, COD removal, BOD:COD ratio, color and pH. Na₂SO₄ concentration was 1 g/L. Experiments were conducted based on a three-level factorial design and response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyze the results. The optimum conditions were obtained as 1414 mg/L influent COD concentration, 79.9 mA/cm² current density and 4 h reaction time. This resulted in 70% BOD removal, 68% COD removal, 84% color removal, 0.04 BOD/COD ratio and 9.1 pH. Electrochemical treatment using graphite carbon electrode was found to be effective in BOD, COD and color removal but was not effective in increasing the BOD/COD ratio or enhancing biodegradability of the leachate. The color intensity of the treated samples increased at low influent COD and high current density due to corrosion of electrode material.     

Spatial patterns reveal negative density dependence and habitat associations in tropical trees

Understanding how plant species coexist in tropical rainforests is one of the biggest challenges in community ecology. One prominent hypothesis suggests that rare species are at an advantage because trees have lower survival in areas of high conspecific density due to increased attack by natural enemies, a process known as negative density dependence (NDD). A consensus is emerging that NDD is important for plant-species coexistence in tropical forests. Most evidence comes from short-term studies, but testing the prediction that NDD decreases the spatial aggregation of tree populations provides a long-term perspective. While spatial distributions have provided only weak evidence for NDD so far, the opposing effects of environmental heterogeneity might have confounded previous analyses. Here we use a novel statistical technique to control for environmental heterogeneity while testing whether spatial aggregation decreases with tree size in four tropical forests. We provide evidence for NDD in 22% of the 139 tree species analyzed and show that environmental heterogeneity can obscure the spatial signal of NDD. Environmental heterogeneity contributed to aggregation in 84% of species. We conclude that both biotic interactions and environmental heterogeneity play crucial roles in shaping tree dynamics in tropical forests.