Enhanced uptake of Cd,Cr, and Cu in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don by Bacillus cereus: application of moss and compost to reduce metal availability

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Heavy metals (HMs) being the notorious and toxic are being introduced into the environment credited to natural and anthropogenic activities. The use...     

Impact of average temperature,energy demand,sectoral value added,and population growth on water resource quality and mortality rate: it is time to stop waiting around

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - It is an overwhelming concern that increases in global average temperature lead to serious consequences on the natural environment in the form of...     

Evaluating levels and health risk of heavy metals in exposed workers from surgical instrument manufacturing industries of Sialkot,Pakistan

The study aimed to monitor heavy metal (chromium, Cr; cadmium, Cd; nickel, Ni; copper, Cu; lead, Pb; iron, Fe; manganese, Mn; and zinc, Zn) footprints in biological matrices (urine, whole blood, saliva, and hair), as well as in indoor industrial dust samples, and their toxic effects on oxidative stress and health risks in exposed workers. Overall, blood, urine, and saliva samples exhibited significantly higher concentrations of toxic metals in exposed workers (Cr; blood 16.30 μg/L, urine 58.15 μg/L, saliva 5.28 μg/L) than the control samples (Cr; blood 5.48 μg/L, urine 4.47 μg/L, saliva 2.46 μg/L). Indoor industrial dust samples also reported to have elevated heavy metal concentrations, as an example, Cr quantified with concentration of 299 mg/kg of dust, i.e., more than twice the level of Cr in household dust (136 mg/kg). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) level presented significant positive correlation (p?≤?0.01) with Cr, Zn, and Cd (Cr?>?Zn?>?Cd) which is an indication of heavy metal’s associated raised oxidative stress in exposed workers. Elevated average daily intake (ADI) of heavy metals resulted in cumulative hazard quotient (HQ) range of 2.97–18.88 in workers of different surgical units; this is an alarming situation of health risk implications. Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR)-based pie charts represent that polishing and cutting sections exhibited highest metal inputs to the biological and environmental matrices than other sources. Heavy metal concentrations in biological matrices and dust samples showed a significant positive correlation between Cr in dust, urine, and saliva samples. Current study will help to generate comprehensive base line data of heavy metal status in biomatrices and dust from scientifically ignored industrial sector. Our findings can play vital role for health departments and industrial environmental management system (EMS) authorities in policy making and implementation.     

Multi-objective optimization model for water resource management: a case study for Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

A multi-objective goal programming model was developed for water distribution from multiple sources to multiple users. The model was applied in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the period of 2015–2050. In Riyadh, water sources are groundwater (GW), desalinated water (DW) and treated wastewater (TWW), while the users are domestic, agricultural and industrial sectors. The model was applied to: (1) satisfy water demands and quality; (2) maximize TWW reuse and GW conservation; and (3) minimize overproduction of DW and overall cost. In 2015, the required allocations of GW, DW and TWW are 3286, 662 and 609 MCM, respectively, which are projected to be 4345, 1554 and 1305 MCM in 2050, respectively. GW source is likely to satisfy the predicted withdrawal of GW till 2035, while probabilities of non-satisfaction of full demands of GW in 2040, 2045 and 2050 were 0.04, 0.23 and 0.51, respectively. Supply of DW and reuse of TWW are needed to be increased to satisfy the predicted quantities during 2015–2050.     

Using a contingent valuation approach for improved solid waste management facility: evidence from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This study employed contingent valuation method to estimate the willingness to pay (WTP) of the households to improve the waste collection system in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The objective of this study is to evaluate how household WTP changes when recycling and waste separation at source is made mandatory. The methodology consisted of asking people directly about their WTP for an additional waste collection service charge to cover the costs of a new waste management project. The new waste management project consisted of two versions: version A (recycling and waste separation is mandatory) and version B (recycling and waste separation is not mandatory). The households declined their WTP for version A when they were asked to separate the waste at source although all the facilities would be given to them for waste separation. The result of this study indicates that the households were not conscious about the benefits of recycling and waste separation. Concerted efforts should be taken to raise environmental consciousness of the households through education and more publicity regarding waste separation, reducing and recycling.     

Oil spill cleanup using graphene

In this article, we study the use of thermally reduced graphene (TRG) for oil spill cleanup. TRG was synthesized by thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide and characterized by X-ray diffusion, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, elemental analysis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurement. Various aspects of the sorption process have been studied including the sorption capacity, the recovery of the adsorbed oil, and the recyclability of TRG. Our results shows that TRG has a higher sorption capacity than any other carbon-based sorbents, with sorption capacity as high as 131 g of oil per gram TRG. With recovery of the sorbed oil via filtration and reuse of TRG for up to six cycles, 1 g of TRG collectively removes approximately 300 g of crude oil. Moreover, the effects of TRG bulk density, pore volume, and carbon/oxygen ratio and the oil viscosity on the sorption process are also discussed.     

System dynamic modeling of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> emissions and pollutants from passenger cars in Malaysia, 2040

Transportation sector is the second largest producer of greenhouse gas in Malaysia next to energy sector. It contributes to nearly 28 % of annual national carbon emissions due to its heavy dependency of hydrocarbons such as gasoline. If not properly managed, carbon dioxide emissions per capita are expected to nearly double in the next 5 years. Lack of interdisciplinary study on this sector has caused proper mitigation initiatives to be delayed, compounding the damage to the ecosystem. The objective of this study is to develop a dynamic probabilistic model to determine emissions and pollutants of transportation system in Malaysia using Analytica software, with focus on passenger cars for its large number over other vehicle classes. Several vehicle fleet management policies based on several key governmental, industrial and stakeholder’s intervention have been constructed and analyzed for a period of 25 years. This analysis found that greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants in 2040 can be reduced by up to 80 %, compared to emissions of 2020, without any adverse effect on vehicle demand nor the economy. However, without proper intervention, personal transportation system in Malaysia will generate nearly 80,000 kilotons of greenhouse gas annually by the year 2040.     

The potential of the flora from different regions of Pakistan in phytoremediation: a review

Soil and water quality is greatly affected by environmental pollution due to the increasing trend of urbanization and industrialization. In many developing countries, including Pakistan, the situation is more alarming as no preventive measures are still taken to tackle the problem. Although in developed countries, many techniques are used to remediate the environment including phytoremediation. It is the most eco-friendly technique in which plants are used to remove pollutants from the environment. Pakistan has also a great diversity of plants which could be used for the remediation of environmental pollutants. To our knowledge, few studies from Pakistan were reported about the use of flora for phytoremediation. According to recent literature, 50 plant species from Pakistan are studied for remediation purposes. In this review, the potential of different plant species for phytoremediation from Pakistan has been discussed along with their comparison to other countries to relate future perspectives.     

The challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution through energy sources: evidence from a panel of developed countries

The objective of the study is to investigate the long-run relationship between climatic factors (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural methane emissions, and industrial nitrous oxide emission), air pollution (i.e., carbon dioxide emissions), and energy sources (i.e., nuclear energy; oil, gas, and coal energy; and fossil fuel energy) in the panel of 35 developed countries (including EU-15, new EU member states, G-7, and other countries) over a period of 1975–2012. In order to achieve this objective, the present study uses sophisticated panel econometric techniques including panel cointegration, panel fully modified OLS (FMOLS), and dynamic OLS (DOLS). The results show that there is a long-run relationship between the variables. Nuclear energy reduces greenhouse gases and carbon emissions; however, the other emissions, i.e., agricultural methane emissions and industrial nitrous oxide, are still to increase during the study period. Electricity production from oil, gas, and coal sources increases the greenhouse gases and carbon emissions; however, the intensity to increase emissions is far less than the intensity to increase emissions through fossil fuel. Policies that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can simultaneously alter emissions of conventional pollutants that have deleterious effects on human health and the environment.     

Microbial contamination of drinking water in Pakistan—a review

Water pollution with pathogenic microorganisms is one of the serious threats to human health, particularly in developing countries. The main objective of this article is to highlight microbial contamination of drinking water, the major factors responsible for microbial contamination, and the resulting health problems in Pakistan. Furthermore, this study will be helpful for researchers and administrative agencies to initiate relevant studies and develop new policies to protect further deterioration of water supply with pathogenic microbes and ensure clean and safe drinking water to the public in Pakistan. In Pakistan, water at the source, in the distribution network, and at the consumer tap is heavily polluted with coliforms and fecal coliforms all over the country. An overview of more than 7,000 water samples reviewed here reveals that an average of over 71 and 58 % samples in the country was contaminated with total coliforms and fecal coliforms, respectively. Drinking water contamination accounts for 20 to 40 % of all diseases in the country, which causes national income losses of Rs 25–58 billion annually (US$0.25–0.58 billion, approximately 0.6–1.44 % of the country’s GDP). Improper disposal of industrial and municipal wastes is the most important factor responsible for water pollution in the country followed by cross-contamination due to old and leaking pipes and lack of water filtration and disinfection facilities. There is an urgent need for emergency steps to stop further deterioration of water quality and improve the existing water quality so as to protect the public from widespread waterborne diseases.