Decision-making for sustainable location of a cement plant in the state of Florida

Site selection is a typical strategic decision for many industries that deals with specifying the most appropriate location for a facility. In the context of sustainable development, site selection decisions need to be improved by adopting environmental, economic and social requirements. This study aims to frame sustainable location decisions by conducting a case study of siting a new cement plant in the state of Florida. As a part of the study, a wide range of technical and sustainability criteria has developed. These criteria can help decision-makers in the cement industry evaluate the selection of a location with the requirements of sustainable development. The sustainability characteristics of alternative sites in the state of Florida are evaluated based on the criteria to identify the most appropriate ones. The analytical hierarchy processand geographic information system techniques are utilized to weight the criteria and evaluate the characteristics of site candidates.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Consequences of health risk assessment of wastewater irrigation in Pakistan

Statement of Retraction

We, the Editors and Publisher of Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, have retracted the following article:

Maria Sabeen, Qaisar Mahmood, Abdol Ghaffar Ebadi, Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhatti, Faridullah, Muhammad Irshad, Allauddin Kakar, Muhammad Bilal, Hafiz Muhammad Arshad and Naeem Shahid, ‘Consequences of health risk assessment of wastewater irrigation in Pakistan Israel Affairs’, Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 2019, DOI: 10.1080/02772248.2019.1619335

The article is retracted due to the oversights that were made during peer review process that resulted in the article being published online in error. Further review from independent reviewers was sought. This confirmed that the central findings and methodology of the study in question are unreliable and therefore unsuitable for publication.

We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.

The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.     

Physicochemical characterization of sediments from Tajan river basin in the northern Iran

Abstract

Continuous monitoring of water quality of freshwater bodies may prevent outbreak of diseases and occurrence of hazards through employment of effective protection measures. The aim of the current investigation was to determine occurrence of water and sediment pollution in Tajan River North Iran which ultimately may be a threat to recreational beaches of Caspian Sea. Water samples were analyzed for various physicochemical parameters including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), bicarbonates, sulfates, cations, chlorides and heavy metals. The concentrations of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Similarly, sediment samples were assessed for physicochemical characteristics including pH, EC, saturation percentage, organic matter, organic carbon, texture and cations. Overall, pH, EC, organic matter, and cation values were within acceptable limits according to USEPA water quality guidelines. However, phosphorus (P) concentration up to 5.6?mg/L was considered as “unsafe” which might result in undesirable eutrophication and increased accumulation of sediment organic content leading to excessive growth of algal species in riverine ecosystem. Heavy metal concentrations of Cd (0.08?ppm) and Pb (3?ppm) were above USEPA threshold limits which may consequently affect sustainability of Tajan River. The unacceptable levels of Cd, Pb and P may produce eutrophication of Caspian Sea coasts and damage the ecosystem.     

Chemistry,abundance, detection and treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water: a review

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a wide range of compounds containing carbon–fluorine bonds. Due the strength of this bond and the high electronegativity of fluorine atoms, PFAS display stability, wettability and other characteristics that are unique for industrial applications and products. However, PFAS induce adverse effects on the environment and human health. Here we review the chemistry, synthesis, properties, analysis, occurrence in water, filtration, removal and oxydation of PFAS.  We highlight emerging hybrid treatments to remove PFAS from water.

     

Sample preparation methods for the analysis of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - The vast amount of plastic waste emitted into the environment is of increasing concern because there is mounting evidence for various toxic effects of...