The possible role of the seaweed Ulva fasciata on ameliorating hyperthyroidism-associated heart inflammations in a rat model

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cardiovascular diseases are key complications primarily associated with hyperthyroidism disorders. The present study sought to ameliorate...     

Earthworm resources of Benghazi, Libya

This study presents the first survey of earthworm species (Oligochaeta) from Benghazi, a Mediterranean coastal city in Libya. A total of three peregrine species were recorded: Allolobophora caliginosa trapezoides, Allolobophora rosea (Family: Lumbricidae), Microscolex dubius (Family: Microscolecidae). Their distribution and density in six habitats (vegetable garden, flower garden, green house, farmland, grassland, plain barren landscape) are discussed in relation to some of the physico-chemical parameters and composition of the soil.     

Development of Eco-friendly Probiotic Edible Coatings Based on Chitosan,Alginate and Carboxymethyl Cellulose for Improving the Shelf Life of UF Soft Cheese

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - The objective of the current work was to evaluate the efficiency of novel antimicrobial edible coatings based on chitosan (CH), sodium alginate (SA), and...     

Metal accumulation by three Tilapia spp. from some Egyptian inland waters

Five trace metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cd) were determined in different tissues and organs (muscle, liver, brain, gills, gonads and intestines) of some Tilapia spp. (Oreochromis spp. and Sarotherodon galilaues) collected from two Egyptian Lakes (Edku and Mariut, exposed to different types of pollutants), El-Umum Drain, and from the fishing farm El-Nozha Hydrodrome. Our results indicate that metal accumulation in different organs vary considerably between the same and among different Tilapia spp. There is a preferential accumulation of metals by different organs. Liver is a target organ for Cu accumulation, whereas the brain and flesh tissues clearly accumulate more levels of Zn than the other studied elements. Amongst the studied elements, Cd concentrations in the different organs are the lowest. It was found that edible parts of Tilapia spp. collected from Lake Mariut accumulate the highest levels of the studied elements (Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu for S. galilaues and Cd for Oreochromis niloticus), compared with those in the other studied areas. In general, the levels of Cd (0.0-0.11 ppm), Cu (0.25-1.85 ppm) and Zn (3.58-8.46 ppm) in the edible parts of studied fish cannot be considered as hazardous levels.     

Use of cement dust in the manufacture of vitrified sewer pipes

Waste by-pass cement dust was added in different percentages ranging from 2% to 10% to a standard mix for sewer pipes manufacture, as a substitute for expensive feldspar. It was found that a mix consisting of 45% kaolin, 36% ball clay, 9% grog and 10% by-pass dust and fired at a temperature of 1300 degrees C for 4 h yielded samples that meet the standards. It was possible to reach a water absorption of 4%, a modulus of rupture of 7.8 MPa and a resistance to acids and alkalis conforming with standard values. A test pipe was fabricated by vacuum extrusion using the suggested composition and was found to withstand a hydraulic pressure of 14 MPa for one minute without the appearance of any cracks.     

Assessment of some heavy metals in surface sediments of the Aqaba Gulf, Egypt

Aqaba Gulf is an economically important marine environment in Egypt. Its coastal area was subjected to anthropogenic impact of urbanization and economic development during the last decades. The study was oriented to investigate the distribution as well as assess the heavy metal pollution status (Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, and Cd) in its surface sediment. Large heavy metals fluctuations were detected along the studied area. The results pointed out to the highly significant correlations among Fe, Cu, Ni, and Co heavy metals and their similar lithogenic origin beside their input sources. The sediment quality was performed by using the geo-accumulation index (I (geo)) and different sediment criteria guidelines; China State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision (CSBTS), and Canadian guidelines. Among the studied heavy metals, Cd was the only metal that showed moderate pollution for I (geo) as well as it exceeded the primary and the secondary criteria of CSBTS and the threshold effect level of the Canadian guidelines (TEL). On the other hand, the other heavy metals were within the natural background levels.     

A phospho-compost biological-based approach increases phosphate rock agronomic efficiency in faba bean as compared to chemical and physical treatments

Under arid and semi-arid conditions, direct application of phosphate rock (PR) as a source of phosphorus (P) for crop production is likely influenced by agricultural practices and soil properties. Different approaches could be used to improve the agronomic efficiency of low-grade PR over a wider range of soils and crops. In this study, biological, physical, and chemical treatments of low-grade Moroccan PR were investigated and compared through agronomic trials on faba bean grown under alkaline soil conditions. The physical treatment was based on blending PR with triple superphosphate (TSP) at 75:25 and 50:50 ratios, the biological treatments involved co-application of PR with compost at 50:50 ratio and phospho-compost elaborated from PR (20%), sewage sludge (46%), and wheat residues (34%), while the chemical treatment was obtained by a 30% acidulation of PR by phosphoric acid. Control treatments consisting of zero P application (control), PR alone, and TSP alone were considered to assess the effectiveness of the abovementioned techniques to improve PR agronomic efficiency. A pot experiment was conducted in sandy soil (Jorf Lasfar, central Morocco) for 60 days in a completely randomized design considering eight treatments. All treatments, except the control, were amended with 52 mg kg^?1 of P from different PR-based fertilizers before sowing. At the flowering stage (60-day-old plants), results indicated that all PR treatments significantly improved plant growth, root nodulation, and nutrient uptake compared to the control. The relative agronomic efficiency of pretreated PR was significantly higher with phospho-compost treatment (86%) than the partially acidulated PR (78%) or the PR/TSP blend 50:50 (64%). Likewise, P uptake, P use efficiency, number of root nodules, and N uptake all were improved under PR treatments. Our finding revealed that the biological technique based on phospho-compost yielded better compared to chemical and physical treatments.