Regional disparities in Preventive measures of COVID-19 pandemic in China. A study from international students’ prior knowledge,perception and vulnerabilities

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The COVID-19 pandemic needs immediate solution before inflicting more devastation. So far, China has successfully controlled transmission of COVID-19...     

Ultrasensitive and selective 4-aminophenol chemical sensor development based on nickel oxide nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotube nanocomposites for green environment

Nickel oxide nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotube nanocomposites(Ni O·CNT NCs)were prepared in a basic medium by using facile wet-chemical routes. The optical,morphological, and structural properties of Ni O·CNT NCs were characterized using Fourier transformed infra-red(FT-IR), Ultra-violet visible(UV/Vis) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), X-ray energy dispersed spectroscopy(XEDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and powder X-ray diffraction(XRD) methods. Selective4-aminophenol(4-AP) chemical sensor was developed by a flat glassy carbon electrode(GCE, surface area: 0.0316 cm~2) fabricated with a thin-layer of NCs. Electrochemical responses including higher sensitivity, large dynamic range(LDR), limit of detection(LOD), and long-term stability towards 4-AP were obtained using the fabricated chemical sensors. The calibration curve was found linear(R~2= 0.914) over a wide range of 4-AP concentration(0.1 nmol/L–0.1 mol/L). In perspective of slope(2 × 10~(-5)μA/μM), LOD and sensitivity were calculated as 15.0 ± 0.1 pM and ~ 6.33 × 10~(-4)μA/(μM·cm) respectively. The synthesized Ni O·CNT NCs using a wet-chemical method is a significant route for the development of ultrasensitive and selective phenolic sensor based on nano-materials for environmental toxic substances. It is suggested that a pioneer and selective development of 4-AP sensitive sensor using Ni O·CNT NCs by a facile and reliable current vs voltage(I–V)method for the major application of toxic agents in biological, green environmental, and health-care fields in near future.     

Fluoride contamination in groundwater of central Rajasthan,India and its toxicity in rural habitants

This study was carried out to assess fluoride (Fl) concentration in groundwater in some villages of central Rajasthan, India, where groundwater is the main source of drinking water. Water samples collected from deep aquifer-based hand pumps were analyzed for Fl content. Fluoride in groundwater of 121 habitations of Bhilwara tehsil of Bhilwara district of Rajasthan was determined to examine the potential Fl-induced toxicity in rural locations. Fluoride concentrations in the tehsil ranged from 0.5 to 5.8 mg/l. In the tehsil, 69 villages (57%) were found to have Fl concentration beyond the maximum desirable limit recommended in Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), 10500, 1991. Fifty-eight percent population of these villages was under the threat of fluorosis. One percent population of tehsil living in two villages ingested more than 5 mg/l Fl in each liter of drinking water and at maximal risk for dental and skeletal fluorosis. 142 individuals of these villages were examined for fluorosis. Data indicated that only four individuals (2.82%) did not exhibit dental fluorosis. Most individuals were found to suffer from mild (34.51% or 49 individuals) and moderate (31.69% or 45 individuals) fluorosis. Severe dental fluorosis was recorded in only 16 individuals (11.27%). In 104 individuals above 21 years of age examined for the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis, 66 were positive for skeletal fluorosis with a maximum 36.5% with grade I skeletal fluorosis. Grade II skeletal fluorosis was recorded in 28 individuals (26.9%). Data in this study demonstrate that there is a need to take ameliorative steps in this region to prevent fluorosis.     

Removal of Novacron Golden Yellow dye from aqueous solutions by low-cost agricultural waste: Batch and fixed bed study

The present work describes the removal of Novacron Golden Yellow (NGY) dye from aqueous solutions using peanut hulls. The experiments were performed with native, pretreated and immobilised forms of peanut hulls. The effect of various operational parameters (pH, biosorbent dose, initial dye concentration and temperature etc.) was explored during batch study. NGY showed maximum removal at low pH and low biosorbent dose. High initial dye concentration facilitated the biosorption process. Maximum dye removal with native, pretreated and immobilised biomass was found to be 35.7, 36.4 and 15.02 mg/g respectively. The experimental data were subjected to different kinetic and equilibrium models. The kinetic data confirmed the fitness of pseudo-second-order rate law for NGY biosorption. The equilibrium modelling was carried out by Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin models. The isothermal data of NGY removal were best described by Freundlich adsorption isotherm. Negative values of Free energy change (Δ G⁰) for NGY with native and pretreated biomass depicted the spontaneous nature of biosorption process. In column mode, the effects of bed height, flow rate and initial dye concentrations were optimised. Maximum NGY biosorption (7.28 mg/g) was observed with high bed height, low flow rate and high initial concentration in continuous mode. Bohart–Adams model best fitted to the data obtained from column studies. The results indicated that the peanut hulls could be used effectively for the removal of dyes containing wastewater.     

Recent developments on gas–solid heterogeneous oxidation removal of elemental mercury from flue gas

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Mercury is a toxic and persistent environmental pollutant which has been recognized as a global threat to human health and our ecosystem because mercury...     

Conceptualizing and incorporating social sustainability in the business world

One of the most important challenges faced by business managers today is the integration of sustainability into their core functions. The contemporary enterprise is forced to leap forward from the mere adoption of green practices toward rethinking, redesigning, and redeveloping business practices in a more sustainable way. Most of the initiatives in this attempt have so far emphasized primarily the economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development and overlooked the social dimension of sustainability. As more organizations commit to sustainability, there is an increasing concern to incorporate social sustainability throughout their business operations. To conceptualize and integrate the notion, some organizations use preexisting indicators to demonstrate the value and impact of sustainability, while others look beyond the measurement of impacts by constructing their own system of indicators. This paper draws on a comprehensive literature review to determine a broadly acceptable framework of social sustainability indicators to be conceptualized and integrated into the business world. Findings suggest that economic and environmental sustainability can be driven together with core social factors including fairness and equality, poverty, health, education, delinquencies, demography, culture, and employee engagement within an organization. These results offer insight into the emerging phenomenon of formulating sustainable business strategies for organizations based on social indicators to attain the ultimate sustainable outcomes. This study is among the first to identify social sustainability indicators from societal and corporate perspectives. It offers a comprehensive social sustainability framework that may be adopted by organizations in the business world.     

Cytotoxicity assessment of monocrotophos in Paramecium caudatum and Oxytricha fallax

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the toxic effects ofmonocrotophos in ciliate models Paramecium caudatum and Oxytricha fallax. In acute toxicity studies higherconcentrations of monocrotophos caused marked increase in mobility of cells exhibiting rocking movements within two mins of exposure but were decreased after 30 mins. LC50 value by mortality curve for 3 hr acute toxicity test of Oxytricha fallax and Paramecium caudatum was found 307.744 +/- 33.27 mg l(-1) and 332.284 +/- 57.52 mg l(-1) respectively. Oxytricha fallax was found sensitive than Paramecium caudatum to monocrotophos. In acute exposure cells showed deformities such as swelling, oval shaped deformity and in higher concentrations shortening of longitudinal axis with blackening of cytoplasm occurred. The length of paramecia was reduced prominently. Similarly enlargement of contractile vacuole and stress egestion of food vacuoles was also observed. The morphological studies showed the changes in shape, size, colour and width of Paramecia and Oxytricha. Frequencies of macronuclear aberrations were significant showing deformities such as rod shaped, elongation, fragmentation, diffusion and total absence of nucleus and were concentration dependent. The data provided in the present study on interaction of pesticides with nuclear structure can be of immense value because most of these pesticides have been reported to have carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic properties.     

Adoption of green banking practices and environmental performance in Pakistan: a demonstration of structural equation modelling

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Banking industries are blamed to be among the major factors that affect global climate change both directly and indirectly. The green banking concept...     

Is Globalization Detrimental to CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Emissions in Japan? New Threshold Analysis

Using annual data from 1970 to 2014, this paper examines the effects of globalization on CO₂ emissions in Japan while accounting for economic growth and energy consumption as potential determinants of carbon emissions. The structural breaks and asymmetries arising due to policy shifts require attention, and hence, an asymmetric threshold version of the ARDL model is utilized. The results show the presence of threshold asymmetric cointegration between variables. Threshold-based positive and negative shocks arising from globalization increase carbon emissions, while the impact of the latter is more profound. Energy consumption (economic growth) also has a significant positive effect on carbon emissions. Globalization, economic growth, and energy consumption significantly increase carbon emissions in the short run. We suggest that policy makers in Japan consider globalization and energy consumption as policy tools in formulating their policies regarding protecting sustainable environmental quality in the long run. Otherwise, the Japanese economy may continue to face environmental consequences such as undesirable climate change and massive warming at the micro and macro levels as a result of potential shocks arising from globalization and energy consumption.