Comparative low lethal effects of three insecticides on demographical traits and enzyme activity of the Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Many species of devastating insect pests have acquired a high degree of resistance to insecticides in the field during the last few decades....     

Multifaceted role of natural sources for COVID-19 pandemic as marine drugs

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - COVID-19, which is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has quickly spread over the world, posing a...     

Unravelling the molecular mechanism of mutagenic factors impacting human health

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Environmental mutagens are chemical and physical substances in the environment that has a potential to induce a wide range of mutations and generate...     

Robust bioinspired surfaces and their exploitation for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation

The current improvement in science and engineering, actively dealing with surfaces and interfaces, turns into a functioning control with a thriving advancement propensity. Superlyophobic/superlyophilic phenomena in surface sciences have pulled in broad considerations of researchers and specialists. Inspired by the natural and living organism, researchers have designed different biomimetic materials with exceptional surface wettability, such as the smart wetting of asymmetric spider silk surfaces. These smart materials with superlyophobic/superlyophilic wettability are generally utilized for water assortment, self-cleaning, fluid transportation and separation, and many researchers’ domains. Among them, emulsion separation, including division of oil-water blend, mixtures of immiscible liquids and oil-water emulsions, is highlighted by an increasing number of researchers. Numerous materials with one- and two-dimensional morphology, smart surfaces, and super wettability have been effectively designed and utilized in various scientific research applications. We expect that these bioinspired materials with super wettability can have promising applications in practical for emulsion destabilization and liquid transportation.

     

The impact of mucormycosis (black fungus) on SARS-CoV-2-infected patients: at a glance

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The emergence of various diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic made health workers more attentive, and one of the new pathogens is the black fungus...     

The geo-genetic status of earthquake-related hazards and the role of human and policy dimensions in impact mitigation

ABSTRACT

Earthquakes occur in and around active lithospheric-plate margins that are located both in diverging and converging plate-settings. New fault rupture or old active fault reactivation can cause ground shaking, land deformation, land subsidence, landslides, and mass avalanches. The relevant locations of major risk centres around the world are well known. However, the parameters such as trend, pattern, frequency and magnitude are highly variable and very difficult to determine and predict. One result is that many fundamental and universal scientific achievements for mitigating earthquake hazard have often failed in protecting and safe-guarding human life and property. Although naturally occurring events cannot be prevented nevertheless loss of life and property damage could be minimized if an integrated effort and using the wisdom of the relevant professionals are practiced. A paradigm shift of the culture from post-disaster relief and rehabilitation to pre-disaster preparation and practice would reduce the level of destruction from an impending earthquake. Requisite pre-disaster physical planning and appropriate building measures, and pre- and post-disaster risk management should give special attention to public awareness programmes for loss mitigation. However, the fundamental requirement for such achievement is dedicated approach and commitment from the planner, practitioners and end-users of risk mitigation actions.     

An overview and analysis of site remediation technologies

This paper presents an analysis of the site restoration techniques that may be employed in a variety of contaminated site cleanup programs. It is recognized that no single specific technology may be considered as a panacea for all contaminated site problems. An easy-to-use summary of the analysis of the important parameters that will help in the selection and implementation of one or more appropriate technologies in a defined set of site and contaminant characteristics is also included.     

Dynamic risk assessment using failure assessment and Bayesian theory

To ensure the safety of a process system, engineers use different methods to identify the potential hazards that may cause severe consequences. One of the most popular methods used is quantitative risk assessment (QRA) which quantifies the risk associated with a particular process activity. One of QRA's major disadvantages is its inability to update risk during the life of a process. As the process operates, abnormal events will result in incidents and near misses. These events are often called accident precursors. A conventional QRA process is unable to use the accident precursor information to revise the risk profile. To overcome this, a methodology has been proposed based on the work of Meel and Seider (2006). Similar to Meel and Seider (2006) work, this methodology uses Bayesian theory to update the likelihood of the event occurrence and also failure probability of the safety system. In this paper the proposed methodology is outlined and its application is demonstrated using a simple case study. First, potential accident scenarios are identified and represented in terms of an event tree, next, using the event tree and available failure data end-state probabilities are estimated. Subsequently, using the available accident precursor data, safety system failure likelihood and event tree end-state probabilities are revised. The methodology has been simulated using deterministic (point value) as well as probabilistic approach. This Methodology is applied to a case study demonstrating a storage tank containing highly hazardous chemicals. The comparison between conventional QRA and the results from dynamic failure assessment approach shows the significant deviation in system failure frequency throughout the life time of the process unit.     

Removal of cadmium(II), lead(II), and chromium(VI) ions from aqueous solution using clay

Removal of cadmium(II), lead(II), and chromium(VI) from aqueous solution using clay, a naturally occurring low-cost adsorbent, under various conditions, such as contact time, initial concentration, temperature, and pH has been investigated. The sorption of these metals follows both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The magnitude of Langmuir and Freundlich constants at 30°C for cadmium, lead, and chromium indicate good adsorption capacity. The kinetic rate constants (K _ad) indicate that the adsorption follows first order. The thermodynamic parameters: free energy change (ΔG ^o), enthalpy change (ΔH ^o), and entropy change (ΔS ^o) show that adsorption is an endothermic process and that adsorption is favored at high temperature. The results reveal that clay is a good adsorbent for the removal of these metals from wastewater.     

思林水库荧光溶解性有机质的特征、来源及其转化动力学

利用三维荧光光谱(EEM)结合平行因子分析(PARAFAC),研究了思林水库冬季(1月)、春季(4月)、夏季(6月)和秋季(10月)上游入库水体、库区表层水(0 m)、库区深层水(20 m)、出库水体的荧光溶解性有机质(FDOM)不同组分的特征、来源及其转化动力学.结果表明,思林水库的溶解性有机质由3种荧光组分组成,分别是:陆源类腐殖质(C类,C1)、浮游植物源的微生物类腐殖质(M类,C2)和浮游植物源的类蛋白或类色氨酸或类酪氨酸(C3).其中陆源类腐殖质的荧光强度随着入库水、库区表层水、库区深层水和出库水逐渐减少,这表明由于光化学作用、微生物作用、大坝拦截效应等环境因素的影响,类腐殖质随着水体由入库向出库的流动而逐渐降解.相反,微生物类腐殖质(M类)的荧光强度结果表明,在入库-出库过程中,微生物类腐殖质处于产生及部分或完全降解的波动中,这表明微生物类腐殖质是浮游植物的原生产物,并且对于光化学作用、微生物作用和大坝拦截效应有很强的不稳定性.类蛋白或类色氨酸或类酪氨酸主要新产生于夏季和秋季的表层水体中,在冬季和春季表层和深层水体中也有产生;并在出库过程中逐渐减少.这表明类蛋白或类色氨酸或类酪氨酸是浮游植物的原生产物;并且它们受到光化学作用、微生物作用和大坝拦截效应的共同影响,在表层和深层水中生成和降解.因此,这些结果意味着通过平行因子分析确定的荧光溶解性有机质组分的方法,对于更好地理解溶解性有机质在水库水体的转化动力学机制至关重要.