COVID-19 and beliefs about tobacco use: an online cross-sectional study in Iran

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - There is mixed evidence surrounding the relationship between tobacco use and COVID-19 infection/progression. The current study investigates beliefs...     

Phosphate recovery with granular acid-activated neutralized red mud: Fixed-bed column performance and breakthrough curve modelling

Granular acid-activated neutralized red mud (AaN-RM) has been successfully prepared with good chemical stability and physical strength. However, its potential for industrial application remains unknown. Therefore, the performance of granular AaN-RM for phosphate recovery in a fixed-bed column was investigated. The results demonstrated that the phosphate adsorption performance of granular AaN-RM in a fixed-bed column was affected by various operational parameters, such as the bed depth, flow rate, initial solution pH and initial phosphate concentration. With the optimal empty-bed contact time (EBCT) of 24.27 min, the number of processed bed volumes and the phosphate adsorption capacity reached 496.95 and 84.80 mg/g, respectively. Then, the saturated fixed-bed column could be effectively regenerated with a 0.5 mol/L HCl solution. The desorption efficiency remained as high as 83.45% with a low weight loss of 3.57% in the fifth regeneration cycle. In addition, breakthrough curve modelling showed that a 5-9-1 feed-forward artificial neural network (ANN) could be effectively applied for the optimization of the fixed-bed adsorption system; the coefficient of determination (R²) and the root mean square error (RMSE) evaluated on the validation-testing data were 0.9987 and 0.0183, respectively. Therefore, granular AaN-RM fixed-bed adsorption exhibits promising potential for phosphate removal and recovery from polluted water.     

Impact of desertification on temperature trends in the Middle East

The intense interest in desertification and climate change has stimulated detailed studies of temperature records in many areas of the world. In this investigation, the temperature records from the Middle East region are analyzed over the period 1950–1990. Results reveal a linear, statistically significant temperature increase of 0.07 °C/decade over the 41-year period. An analysis of spatial controls on these temperature changes reveals a warming effect associated with both overgrazing and the degree of human-induced desertification. The results of this study are consistent with theoretical and empirical studies predicting and demonstrating a warming signal associated with these land surface changes in the world's dryland areas.     

内电解组合工艺处理重度富营养化水体的初步中试试验

采用催化铁内电解-沸石床-生物活性炭组合工艺进行了处理重度富营养化水的中试试验.通过对进水与出水浊度、TP、CODMn、UV254、总铁、NH3-N、和NO2--N的监测,研究了本组合工艺对重度富营养化水体的处理性能.试验期间,水温约在10℃.初步结果表明,本组合工艺对浊度、TP、CODMn和UV254均有较好的去除作用,平均去除率达到50%以上,出水中铁含量均低于进水.由于水温过低,未观察到氨氮和亚硝酸盐氮的明显变化.     

宁夏盐池县社会经济与环境协调发展的策略分析

本文通过分析宁夏盐池县的自然条件、自然资源以及社会经济发展与环境的关系,应用权图影响结构模型对该县社会经济与环境系统进行了定量的分析与研究。建立了7个模型,并通过预测、比较实施不同发展策略后各模型的系统状态,找出了使系统优化运行的灵敏调控点,分析了各分项调整策略之间相互制约、相互促进的关系,提出了使该县社会经济与环境协调发展的策略。     

GEOMORPHOLOGY OF STEEPLAND HEADWATERS: THE TRANSITION FROM HILLSLOPES TO CHANNELS1

Headwater streams comprise 60 to 80 percent of the cumulative length of river networks. In hilly to mountainous terrain, they reflect a mix of hillslope and channel processes because of their close proximity to sediment source areas. Their morphology is an assemblage of residual soils, landslide deposits, wood, boulders, thin patches of poorly sorted alluvium, and stretches of bedrock. Longitudinal profiles of these channels are strongly influenced by steps created by sediment deposits, large wood, and boulders. Due to the combination of small drainage area, stepped shallow gradient, large roughness elements, and cohesive sediments, headwater streams typically transport little sediment or coarse wood debris by fluvial processes. Consequently, headwaters act as sediment reservoirs for periods spanning decades to centuries. The accumulated sediment and wood may be episodically evacuated by debris flows, debris floods, or gully erosion and transported to larger channels. In mountain environments, these processes deliver significant amounts of materials that form riverine habitats in larger channels. In managed steepland forests, accelerated rates of landslides and debris flows resulting from the harvest of headwater forests have the potential to seriously impact the morphology of headwater streams and downstream resources.     

Influence of polymethyl acrylate additive on the formation of particulate matter and NOX emission of a biodiesel–diesel-fueled engine

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the polymethyl acrylate (PMA) additive on the formation of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen...     

Insights into hazardous solid waste generation during COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable management approaches for developing countries

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The recent emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the drastic production and use of healthcare and personal protective equipment,...