Microwave irradiation and citric acid assisted seed germination and phytoextraction of nickel (Ni) by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L.: morpho-physiological and biochemical alterations under Ni stress

The complex bio-geochemistry of soil allows pollutant to persist for a longer period of time which further decreased the fertility and natural composition of land. Nickel, an inorganic pollutant, coming from a wide range of industrial and manufacturing units possesses serious threat to soil degradation and crop productivity around the world. The present study was carried to evaluate the combined role of microwave irradiation (MR) and citric acid (CA) on the phytoextraction potential of Brassica napus L. under Ni stress. An initial seed germination test was conducted to select effective time scale of MR exposure. Highest seed germination was observed at exposure of 2.45 GHz frequency for 30 s. Healthy seeds of B. napus L. genotype Faisal Canola (RBN-03060) treated with MR at 2.45 GHz for 30 s were sown in plastic pots filled with 5 kg of soil. Nickel and CA applied exogenously in solution form with different combinations to both MR-treated and untreated B. napus plants. The MR-treated plants showed higher growth, biomass, photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b, total, and carotenoids) and activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, APX, CAT) as compared to untreated plants who showed higher reactive oxygen species (MDA, H₂O₂) and electrolyte leakage. Increasing Ni concentration significantly decreased the physiological and biochemical attributes of B. napus both in MR-treated and untreated plants. The addition of CA alleviated Ni-induced toxic effects in both MR-treated and untreated plants by improving antioxidant defense system. The degree of Ni stress mitigation was higher in MR-treated plants. The Ni concentration was higher in root, stem, and leaves of MR-treated plants under CA application as compared to untreated plants. The present study concluded that seeds treated with MR before sowing showed higher accumulation and concentration of Ni from soil, and this phenomenon boosted with the application of CA.     

Biosurfactants during in situ bioremediation: factors that influence the production and challenges in evalution

Research on the influence of biosurfactants on the efficiency of in situ bioremediation of contaminated soil is continuously growing. Despite the constant progress in understanding the mechanisms involved in the effects of biosurfactants, there are still many factors that are not sufficiently elucidated. There is a lack of research on autochthonous or exogenous microbial metabolism when biostimulation or bioaugmentation is carried out to produce biosurfactants at contaminated sites. In addition, studies on the application of techniques that measure the biosurfactants produced in situ are needed. This is important because, although the positive influence of biosurfactants is often reported, there are also studies where no effect or negative effects have been observed. This review aimed to examine some studies on factors that can improve the production of biosurfactants in soils during in situ bioremediation. Moreover, this work reviews the methodologies that can be used for measuring the production of these biocomposts. We reviewed studies on the potential of biosurfactants to improve the bioremediation of hydrocarbons, as well as the limitations of methods for the production of these biomolecules by microorganisms in soil.     

UV-C as a means to combat biofilm proliferation on prehistoric paintings: evidence from laboratory experiments

A laboratory investigation of UV-C effects was conducted over a 62-h period: a much higher dose than in classic UV-C treatment was applied to five pigments and two painting binders used by prehistoric humans. Colorimetric parameters were compared to a control to see if UV-C can change pigment and binder color. Infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma and X-ray crystallography were also carried out to confirm colorimetric measurement. In order to understand how microorganism may physically deteriorate paintings, limestone blocks were painted and monitored until their complete colonization by algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and/or mosses. The results show that UV-C has no effect on mineral compounds. Conversely, it is noteworthy that binder color changed under both UV-C light conditions as well as in visible light. Concerning painted blocks, a fast proliferation has been observed with deterioration of the paintings. These results show the high importance of treating biofilm as soon as possible. Moreover, these findings may be a promising avenue inducing cave managers to use friendly UV-C light to treat contaminated cave paintings and also in the prevention of biodeterioration by lampenflora.     

Improvement in rice straw pulp bleaching effluent quality by incorporating oxygen delignification stage prior to elemental chlorine-free bleaching

Environmental degradation by industrial and other developmental activities is alarming for imperative environmental management by process advancements of production. Pulp and paper mills are now focusing on using nonwood-based raw materials to protect forest resources. In present study, rice straw was utilized for pulp production as it is easily and abundantly available as well as rich in carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicelluloses). Soda-anthraquinone method was used for pulp production as it is widely accepted for agro residues. Bleaching process during paper production is the chief source of wastewater generation. The chlorophenolic compounds generated during bleaching are highly toxic, mutagenic, and bioaccumulative in nature. The objectives of study were to use oxygen delignification (ODL) stage prior to elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaching to reduce wastewater load and to study its impact on bleached pulp characteristics. ODL stage prior to ECF bleaching improved the optical properties of pulp in comparison to only ECF bleaching. When ODL stage was incorporated prior to bleaching, the tensile index and folding endurance of the pulp were found to be 56.6 ± 1.5 Nm/g and 140, respectively, very high in comparison to ECF alone. A potential reduction of 51, 57, 43, and 53% in BOD₃, COD, color, and AOX, respectively was observed on adding the ODL stage compared to ECF only. Generation of chlorophenolic compounds was reduced significantly. Incorporation of ODL stage prior to bleaching was found to be highly promising for reducing the toxicity of bleaching effluents and may lead to better management of nearby water resources.

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Characteristics of phosphorus components in surface sediments from a Chinese shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu): new insights from chemical extraction and <Superscript>31</Superscript>P NMR spectroscopy

As a primary factor responsible for lake eutrophication, a deeper understanding of the phosphorus (P) composition and its turnover in sediment is urgently needed. In this study, P species in surface sediments from a Chinese large eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu) were characterized by traditional fractionation and ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their contributions to the overlying water were also discussed. Fractionation results show that NaOH-P predominated in the algal-dominated zone, accounting for 60.1% to total P in Zhushan Bay. Whereas, refractory fractions including HCl-P and residual-P were the main P burial phases in the macrophyte-dominated zone, the center and lakeshore. Recovery rates of the total P and organic P were greatly improved by using a modified single-step extraction of NaOH-EDTA, ranging from 22.6 to 66.1% and from 15.0 to 54.0%. Ortho-P, monoester-P, and pyro-P are identified as the major P components in the NaOH-EDTA extracts by ³¹P NMR analysis. Trace amount of DNA-P appeared only in sediments from algal- and macrophyte-dominated zones, ascribing to its biological origin. The relative content of ortho-P is the highest in the algal-dominated zone, while the biogenic P including ester-P and pyro-P is the highest in the macrophyte-dominated zone. Moreover, ortho-P and pyro-P correlated positively with TP and chlorophyll a in the overlying water, whereas only significant relationships were found between monoester-P, biogenic P, and chlorophyll a. These discrepancies imply that inorganic P, mainly ortho-P, plays a vital role in sustaining the trophic level of water body and algal bloom, while biogenic P makes a minor contribution to phytoplankton growth. This conclusion was supported by the results of high proportion of biogenic P in algae, aquatic macrophytes, and suspended particulate from the published literature. This study has significant implication for better understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of endogenous P and its role in affecting lake eutrophication.     

Scenario-based urban growth allocation in a rapidly developing area: a modeling approach for sustainability analysis of an urban-coastal coupled system

Being located in an urban-coastal coupled system, the Hashtpar City is one of the most attractive areas for urban construction, tourism, agricultural activities and environmental protection in northern Iran. To resolve the issues between land developers and environmental conservation agencies, we conducted a scenario-based urban growth allocation procedure through the SLEUTH model. The scenarios consisted of ‘business as usual’, ‘managed urban growth’ and ‘environmentally sound growth’ that were introduced by modification of model parameters and exclusion layer. The resultant urban growth arrangements were compared for composition and configuration attributes of landscape patterns. According to the results, the pattern of urbanized lands under managed urban growth option demonstrated better connectivity and compactness of urban patches, while the two other scenarios generated a highly fragmented pattern. The managed urban growth can be considered as a compromised solution between other scenarios since it simultaneously takes into accounts both developers and environment protectors points’ of views. On this basis, a combination of centralized and decentralized urban land use planning is a recommended strategy for our urban-coastal environment to fulfill the purposes of a sustainable development process. The findings of the present article suggest that further expansion of the major urban core in the targeted area should be prohibited since it can lead to an urban patch with considerable physical size and noticeable ecological footprint.     

Depictions of sustainability in children’s books

Images in children’s books can leave a more lasting impression in young learners’ minds than text. Therefore, it is important for children’s books to use images as a teaching tool, especially regarding global issues such as environmental sustainability. This study examined how the images in nonfiction children’s books approach the topic of sustainability and whether these images support the overall goals of environmental education. We selected seven easy-to-access trade books which yielded 384 images for analysis. Two coders analyzed the images according to the following categories: (a) gender and age, (b) actions of people, (c) depictions of nature, (d) depictions of objects, (e) structures, and (f) habitation. Results show that nearly half of the images (48 %) depicted non-natural objects (16 %) or humans (31 %). One half of the images portrayed humans as consumers. Gender bias was evident, with 33 % of females portrayed as consumers and only 16 % of males portrayed as consumers. Similarly, 12 % of the images with males showed them engaged in recycling behavior, while only 4 % of the images showed females recycling. Of the 32 % of images depicting nature, individual plants rather than ecosystems were portrayed. Depictions of man-made systems predominated the images, a surprising finding. No images established the connection between consumerism and the depletion of natural resources or pollution, and further sustainable actions or lifestyles were not portrayed, implying that consumption is a societal norm. We conclude with recommendations for the use of images in children’s literature focusing on environmental education and sustainability.     

Design,measurement and evaluation of photovoltaic pumping system for rural areas in Oman

In the present paper, the optimum design of a PV system used to operate a water pumping system was determined for Oman. The system design focused on the environmental conditions of Sohar city. The implementation and measurement of the designed system are presented to prove the effectiveness of the proposed system. The results show that the system can provide the required power at peak hours, leading to a substantial reduction in the sizing of the PV system. Consequently, the investment capital costs 2400 USD, and the cost of energy is equal to 0.309 USD/kWh. Furthermore, the results indicate that the system annual yield factor is 2024.66 kWh/kWp and that the capacity factor is 23.05 %, which is encouraging since the latter is typically 21 %. The system capital cost and the cost of energy are worth comparing to a diesel generator. A comparison is made between the proposed system and several others in the literature. The comparison indicated that the system cost of energy is promising.     

Factors influencing farmers’ decisions on nitrogen fertilizer application in the Liangzihu Lake basin,Central China

Overuse of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture activities has caused severe water pollution in China. The lack of data at producer level hampers decision makers in the development and implementation of efficient policies to curb excessive N-fertilizer use. In a survey of 300 farm households in the Liangzihu Lake basin, we identified factors associated with farmers’ decisions on N-fertilizer use and application rate. Household survey and multiple linear regression models indicate that the average application rate in the study region is 229 kg N ha^?1, which exceeds the recommended rate for maximum profit for cereal crops (maize, wheat, and rice) in China of 150–180 kg N ha^?1. High N-application rates are associated with low farmland productivity (coefficient = ?15.66, p = 0.02), a high share of off-farm income (coefficient = 27.14, p = 0.003), and a low education level of the household head (coefficient = ?10.83, p = 0.039). Neither physical infrastructure nor access to input markets appears to be related to N-application rates. It may be concluded that excessive use of N in agriculture of Central China is mainly a problem of insufficient awareness and high share of off-farm income.     

Effectiveness of EMS in Tunisian companies: framework and implementation process based on ISO 14001 standard

This paper reports environmental analysis results of food and tannery Tunisian companies to identify the features of environmental management system (EMS) that is implemented recently. EMS via ISO 14001 has become one of the principal tools used by companies to handle environmental aspects and impacts through their various complex activities interacted with environment. While several companies have implemented and maintained a formal EMS, it has related mainly to their benefits in short term without responding to the sustainable development recommendations and practices. This study focuses on the strong linkage between the EMS effectiveness of food–tannery Tunisian companies and sustainability. A proactive environmental management approach is proposed and adopts a qualitative and quantitative assessment for factor analysis. It provides a strategic EMS framework and principles for sustainability to evolve the future enterprises’ benefits that has a clear influence on environmental performance in long term.