Determining recreational, scenic, and historical–cultural potentials of landscape features along a segment of the ancient Silk Road using factor analyzing

Generally, roads are structures connecting areas of special importance to each other (e.g., from urban areas to villages). In addition to functioning as transportation mediums, roads have aesthetic qualities by means of their recreational, scenic, and cultural functions. One of these unexplored roads, the Trabzon–Gümü?hane old state highway in the Northeast Turkey, the subject of this study, is quite unique for being a part of the historical Silk Road. The aim of the study is to determine the recreational, scenic, and cultural potentials of this road and to identify the landscape qualities based on these potentials. After dividing the road into three sections for comparison purposes, data gathered from basic digital maps obtained from The General Directorate of Rural Services (the governmental agency that is responsible for producing such digital maps) and field trips were entered into maps using geographic information system followed by creating demonstration films using photographs and video camera images of the natural and cultural characteristics of the area. Then, these films were evaluated by an expert team to identify the road’s recreational, scenic, and cultural potentials. The results of the evaluation process, the relationships between determined landscape characteristics for each function, and the contribution scores of different functions assigned for the artificial features were statistically analyzed. The analyses showed a very strong relationship between the sections and the contribution scores of the recreation and the scenic functions. The results of these analyses also revealed some landscape characteristics having high contribution values for all the functions. This, in turn, helped in determining a potential of the study area to become a greenway.     

Determination of heavy metals in bee honey with connected and not connected metal wires using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES)

Two honey samples are taken from two parts of the same honeycomb: one that contacts to the surface of the wire and the other taken from the surface that does not contact the wires. Heavy metal contents of these two samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry). The Mo, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn contents of the honey in contact with wire is higher when compared to the other. Especially, Fe and Zn contents of honey in contact with wire is much higher than the non-contact one. These values are, respectively, 190.21 and 112.76 ppm. Besides, Ni content of honey in contact with wire is approximately 50% higher.     

Goal-based waste management strategy to reduce persistence of contaminants in leachate at municipal solid waste landfills

The required minimum 30-year post-closure care period for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills can be shortened by reducing or eliminating of MSW components with long-terms effect in gas and leachate. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the relative persistence of landfill gas, leachate quantity, and selected leachate parameters using post-closure monitoring data from a case study landfill in south Florida. The relative persistence of selected decomposition byproducts in leachate were evaluated by both zero order and first order models based on monitoring data from the case study landfill. The analyses show that although gas and leachate production rates diminish very quickly, some contaminants remain in leachate as the decomposition process continues at a slower rate. For the case study landfill, the parameters which have been detected consistently at high concentrations (above MCL) included chloride, TDS, iron, bicarbonate, benzene, and vinyl chloride. Among these, vinyl chloride has the fastest and TDS has the slowest rate of disappearance in the landfill environment. The effect of waste diversion on persistence times of the selected persistent leachate quality parameters was evaluated. For example, a 40% reduction in the amount of plastics deposited in the landfill could reduce the monitoring time for benzene from 59 to 39 years. Zero order model underestimates the persistence times of the contaminants in leachate due to its linear nature. Shortening the monitoring times can provide significant savings for municipalities who need to continue monitoring leachate quality until the MCL levels are reached.     

Synthesis and anti-microbial activity of hydroxylammonium ionic liquids

Eight hydroxylammonium-based room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) have been synthesized by acid-base neutralization of ethanolamines with organic acids. The ILs were characterized by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies and elemental analysis. Their anti-microbial activities were determined using the well-diffusion method. All eight ILs were toxic to Staphylococcus aureus, while 2-hydroxyethylammonium lactate and 2-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-methylethanaminium acetate showed high anti-microbial activity against a wide range of human pathogens.     

Atmospheric concentrations and phase partitioning of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Izmir, Turkey

Atmospheric concentrations of 7 PBDE congeners (BDE-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154 and -209) were determined at four sites (i.e. Suburban, Urban 1, Urban 2, Industrial) in Izmir, Turkey and their gas/particle partitioning was investigated. Total PBDE ( summation operator(7)PBDE) concentrations ranged between 11 (Urban 1) and 149pgm(-3) (Industrial) in summer, while in winter, they ranged from 6 (Suburban) to 81pgm(-3) (Industrial). BDE-209 was the dominant congener at all sites, followed by BDE-99 and -47. Investigation of source profiles indicated that the air samples were dominated by congeners of the penta and deca-technical BDE mixtures. The measured PBDE particle fractions were compared to the predictions of the K(OA) (octanol-air partition coefficient)-based equilibrium partitioning model and to the dynamic uptake model developed by others for passive samplers, which was adapted to model gas-particle partitioning in this study. For BDE-28, good agreement was observed between the experimental particle fractions and those predicted by the equilibrium partitioning model. However, this model overestimated the particle fractions of other congeners. The predictions of the dynamic uptake model supported the hypothesis that the unexpectedly high partitioning of BDEs (except BDE-28) to the gas-phase is due to their departure from equilibrium partitioning. When congeners with very large octanol-air partition coefficients (i.e. BDE-100, -99, -154, -153, and -209) are emitted from their sources in the gas-phase, they may remain in that phase for several months before reaching equilibrium with atmospheric particles. This may also have important implications for the transport of atmospheric PBDEs. For example, in addition to particle-bound transport, the gas-phase transport of highly brominated congeners (i.e. BDE-209) may also be important.     

Enhancing aerobic digestion potential of municipal waste-activated sludge through removal of extracellular polymeric substance

A protease-secreting bacteria was used to pretreat municipal sewage sludge to enhance aerobic digestion. To enhance the accessibility of the sludge to the enzyme, extracellular polymeric substances were removed using citric acid thereby removing the flocs in the sludge. The conditions for the bacterial pretreatment were optimized using response surface methodology. The results of the bacterial pretreatment indicated that the suspended solids reduction was 18 % in sludge treated with citric acid and 10 % in sludge not treated with citric acid whereas in raw sludge, suspended solids reduction was 5.3 %. Solubilization was 10.9 % in the sludge with extracellular polymeric substances removed in contrast to that of the sludge with extracellular polymeric substances, which was 7.2 %, and that of the raw sludge, which was just 4.8 %. The suspended solids reduction in the aerobic reactor containing pretreated sludge was 52.4 % whereas that in the control reactor was 15.3 %. Thus, pretreatment with the protease-secreting bacteria after the removal of extracellular polymeric substances is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method.     

Duo-molecularly imprinted polymer-coated magnetic particles for class-selective removal of endocrine-disrupting compounds from aqueous environment

The removal of steroid and phenolic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) from an aqueous environment was investigated using magnetic particles encapsulated by a duo-molecularly imprinted polymer (duo-MIP). The effect of environmental variables on the binding efficiency was studied. Experimental results showed that the amount of EDCs adsorbed was neither affected by up to 10.0 mM NaCl nor significantly interfered by up to 10.0 mg/L humic acid. Negligible influence was observed from pH 3.3 to pH 6.8, but a decrease started at pH 9. Freundlich isotherm parameters indicated binding capacities in the order of DES?>?E2?～?E1?>?BPA. The applicability of class-selective removal was verified using river water samples spiked with these EDCs at 10 μg/L; the binding efficiencies were 90, 90, 88, and 98 % for estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), bisphenol A (BPA), and diethylstilbestrol (DES), respectively. A reuse investigation verified constant binding capacities exhibiting <2 % reduction after seven cycles of regeneration.     

Atmospheric ambient trace element concentrations of PM10 at urban and sub-urban sites: source apportionment and health risk estimation

In this study, PM₁₀ concentrations and elemental (Al, Fe, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ba, Pb, and Bi) contents of particles were determined in Düzce, Turkey. The particulate matter samplings were carried out in the winter and summer seasons simultaneously in both urban and sub-urban sampling sites. The average PM₁₀ concentration measured in the winter season was 86.4 and 27.3 μg/m³, respectively, in the urban and sub-urban sampling sites, while it was measured as 53.2 and 34.7 μg/m³ in the summer season. According to the results, it was observed that the PM₁₀ levels and the element concentrations reached higher levels, especially at the urban sampling site, in the winter season. The positive matrix factorization model (PMF) was applied to the data set for source apportionment. Analysis with the PMF model revealed six factors for both the urban (coal combustion, traffic, oil combustion, industry, biomass combustion, and soil) and sub-urban (industry, oil combustion, traffic, road dust, soil resuspension, domestic heating) sampling sites. Loadings of grouped elements on these factors showed that the major sources of the elements in the atmosphere of Düzce were traffic, fossil fuel combustion, and metal industry-related emissions.     

Monitoring the drastic growth of ship breaking yards in Sitakunda: a threat to the coastal environment of Bangladesh

The vast coastal and marine resources that occur along the southern edge of Bangladesh make it one of the most productive areas of the world. However, due to growing anthropogenic impacts, this area is under considerable environmental pressure from both physical and chemical stress factors. Ship breaking, or the dismantling and demolition of out-of-service ocean-going vessels, has become increasingly common in many coastal areas. To investigate the extent of ship breaking activities in Bangladesh along the Sitakunda coast, various spatial and non-spatial data were obtained, including remote sensing imagery, statistical records and published reports. Impacts to coastal and marine life were documented. Available data show that ship breaking activities cause significant physical disturbance and release toxic materials into the environment, resulting in adverse effects to numerous marine taxonomic groups such as fish, mammals, birds, reptiles, plants, phytoplankton, zooplankton and benthic invertebrates. Landsat imagery illustrates that the negatively impacted coastal area has grown 308.7 % from 367 ha in 1989 to 1,133 ha in 2010. Physicochemical and biological properties of coastal soil and water indicate substantially elevated pollution that poses a risk of local, regional and even global contamination through sea water and atmospheric transport. While damage to the coastal environment of Bangladesh is a recognized hazard that must be addressed, the economic benefits of ship breaking through job creation and fulfilling the domestic demand for recycled steel must be considered. Rather than an outright ban on beach breaking of ships, the enterprise must be recognized as a true and influential industry that should be held responsible for developing an economically viable and environmentally proactive growth strategy. Evolution of the industry toward a sustainable system can be aided through reasonable and enforceable legislative and judicial action that takes a balanced approach, but does not diminish the value of coastal conservation.     

Synthesis of Ion-Imprinted Alginate Based Beads: Selective Adsorption Behavior of Nickel (II) Ions

Ni(II) imprinted and non-imprinted bioadsorbent alginate beads were prepared, and utilized in the selective adsorption of Ni(II) ions. The optimum adsorption capacity were 6.00 mmol g^?1 at 500 ppm initial metal ion concentration at pH 7 for Ni(II) imprinted alginate beads (IIP). The equilibrium data were applied to Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms, and it fitted both isotherm models. Thermodynamic parameters showed favorable and endothermic nature of adsorption. Ni(II) imprinted bead showed the strong ability to selective adsorption from Cu(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) ions. In conclusion, Ni(II) ion imprinted alginate beads could be used repeatedly without any significant reduce of adsorption capacity.