INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (IJEST)
Year:2015 | Volume:12 | Issue:10

The feasibility of alginate-immobilised Chlorella sorokiniana for nitrate and ammonium removal from drinking water in regard to carbon source effects was studied in this paper. Three different natural carbon sources were tested in batch experiments with nitrate as nitrogen source: sucrose, grape juice and acacia honey. The nitrate removal efficiencies achieved at 50 mg/L of initial nitrate concentration under sucrose, grape juice and acacia honey were 93, 99 and 94 %, respectively. At 100 mg/L of nitrate, comparable efficiencies were obtained after approximately 3 days, whilst for acacia honey at 50 mg/L, it took only 2 days of cultivation and 3 days for the other two carbon sources. Grape juice and acacia honey showed better performances than sucrose, which must be linked to their chemical compositions. The study of the impact of biosorbent quantity on nitrate removal efficiency showed that sufficient nitrate removal efficiencies could be achieved with a beads/water ratio of 1:6.7 (v/v) or smaller. In addition, the beads’ ages significantly impacted the nitrate removal. The removal of ammonium was studied in the presence of nitrate with acacia honey as carbon source. At the highest concentrations being tested (ammonium-30 mg/L and nitrate-50 mg/L), ammonium was completely removed in <3 days and nitrate by 81 % in 4 days, whereby the suitable beads/water ratio was 1:5. The priority of ammonium assimilation was noticed when compared to nitrate. According to the results, the alginate-immobilised C. sorokiniana represents a promising tool for the removal of nitrogen from drinking water sources.

Chromium is a highly toxic metal for all living organisms. Industrial use of chromium has resulted in serious widespread pollution. Biological treatment (bioremediation) has proven to be a cost-effective option for cleanup of metal-contaminated sites. Several bacteria and plant species are able to tolerate high levels of chromium compounds that can be used for cleanup. An experiment was designed to study the colonization behavior of two indigenous Cr(VI)-reducing bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa Rb-1 and Ochrobactrum intermedium Rb-2 that were grown in wheat system amended with and without Cr (VI). Hydroponically grown wheat seedlings were co-inoculated with bacterial cultures to study the root colonization potential by fluorescent and electron microscopy. Bacterial inoculation caused significant increase in the growth of seedlings under Cr (VI) stress. Fluorescent microscopy showed good colonization potential of both bacterial strains with roots of inoculated seedlings. Electron micrographs revealed that Rb-1 tended to accumulate in the form of clusters, while Rb-2 preferred to be attach in groups of two or three cells to the root surface of inoculated seedlings. Chromium stress led to the elongation of bacterial rods along with uneven cell surface due to wrapping of cells in mucilaginous material. Cr (VI) stress also resulted in the damaging of plant root surface. Hence, few cells of Rb-2 entered the damaged root cortex cells and appeared as endophytes. Excessive production of fibrillar material by both bacteria under chromium stress could clearly be observed. Both strains displayed auxin production and Cr(VI) reduction ability, showing promise for bioremediation purposes.

Wastewaters can contain residual phosphorus concentrations above the recommended limiting values, and it could have a high environmental impact. The discharge of such effluents is undesirable and can cause excessive nutrients and eutrophication in the receiving water. In order to produce an effluent suitable for stream discharge, chemical precipitation of phosphate based on a sequential experimental design has been explored. The influence of factors [pH, type of salt (calcium or iron)] involved in the co-precipitation of phosphate ions was studied by a complete factorial design. It was established that the optimal parameter values obtained from a second-order model allowed conclusion to be drawn on the effectiveness of the removal. So in the best conditions (pH 8.41 and a dose of 97.07 mg/L Ca (OH)2 with 10 mg/L FeSO4.7H2O), 95.80 % (removal rate) of the phosphate ion were removed from the synthetic solution. A second-order mathematical model of the removal of phosphate ions, depending on two parameters which are pH and Ca (OH)2 concentration, was finally proposed. Moreover, on the basis on the pH solution, it was shown that the precipitate formed was hydroxyapatite Ca10 (PO4)6(OH)2 and the scanning electron microscopy views revealed the amorphous and homogeneous aspect of the precipitates.

Bahmanshir estuary, which is connected to the Persian Gulf, is one of the most important water resources in region. In this study, saltwater intrusion due to possible sea level rise in the Bahmanshir estuary was investigated. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model was used for the simulation of the salinity intrusion and associated water quality, with measured field data being used for model calibration and verification. The verified model was then used as a virtual laboratory to study the effects of different parameters on the salinity intrusion. A coupled gas-cycle/climate model was used to generate the climate change scenarios in the studied area that showed sea level rises varying from 30 to 90 cm for 2100. The models were then combined to assess the impact of future sea level rise on the salinity distribution in the Bahmanshir estuary. Using important dimensionless numbers, a dimensionally homogenous equation was subsequently developed for the prediction of the salinity intrusion length, showing that the salinity intrusion length is inversely correlated with the discharge and directly with the sea level rise. In addition, the magnitude and frequency of the salinity standard violations at the pump station were predicted for 2100, showing that the salinity violations under climate change effects can increase to 45 % of the times at this location. This reveals the importance of this type of approach for considering future infrastructure management.

1, 8-Dihydroxy anthraquinone is the intermediate usually used in the dye and pharmaceutical industry, and its direct discharge into water results in serious pollution. In the present study, we aimed to remove 1, 8-dihydroxy anthraquinone and investigate its biosorption mechanism of anthraquinone onto nonviable Aspergillus oryzae CGMCC5992 biomass. Biosorption data were intuitively described by Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. According to the Langmuir model, it deduced that the maximum biosorption capacity of 1, 8-dihydroxy anthraquinone was 62.82 mg g-1 at 30oC and pH 3.0. Characterization of the interaction between biosorbent and possible dye-biosorbent was further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Experimental results suggested that A. oryzaebiomass as low-cost, environmentally friendly and efficient biosorbent could be successfully employed in the removal of 1, 8-dihydroxy anthraquinone from aqueous solution.

Both national and international judgments and judicial precedents play an important role in the development of legal regimes. In the light of judgments and judicial precedents, the administration of justice and judicial security can be measured in every legal system. In this context, the International Court of Justice and other international judicial and arbitral bodies have an important role to play in the development of international law, particularly in international environmental law. In addition, judgments and judicial precedents of international courts, especially the International Court of Justice can affirm new legal rules and principles that can contribute to the development of international environmental law. This research through content analysis attempts to analyze the capacity and capability of new international judgments and judicial precedents of the International Court of Justice on environmental issues in influencing the development of environmental law. For this purpose, this study attempts to analyze five recent legal cases of the International Court of Justice. It also provides guidelines for applicable solutions by identifying legal gaps and existing inefficiencies.

Vegetation and different land uses may affect the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils. The objective of the current article was to study the impact of industrial activities and land use type on the distribution of heavy metals in soils of Chitgar Forrest Park, located in industrial zone in the west of Tehran City. The soil samples were taken from 116 sites in a regular sampling grid (250 × 250 m) at a depth of 0–20 cm, including three different land uses, needle leaf forests, broadleaf forests and rangeland. Nitric acid-extractable form of seven metals, Cu, Cd, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, and DTPA-extractable form of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were measured. Soil texture, pH, organic carbon, carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, percentage of calcium carbonate and electrical conductivity (EC) were also determined. According to the maps and background amounts, heavy metals were affected by industrial activities and road traffic. Proximity to heavy traffic highway of Tehran–Karaj and large autoindustry plants can be considered for increasing metal concentrations. Results of statistical methods (coefficient variation and cluster analysis), besides geostatistical analysis (variogram and map), showed that total concentrations of heavy metals are controlled by intrinsic and extrinsic factors in the studied area. Although land use type did not affect the alteration in the distribution of total concentrations of heavy metals, it changed the distribution of DTPA form of heavy metals in the soils through affecting the soil organic matter.

The biotreatment of industrial effluents that contain heavy metals, detergents and metal chelating agents represents a great concern to industries as these compounds are either toxic to microbes or they act as non-competitive inhibitors/denaturing agents for several enzymes. So, it is essential to know the effect of various agents usually present in the treatment plant on activity of the enzyme, for extending its applications in in situ treatment processes. This study describes the immobilization conditions of laccase and analysis of the sensitivity of immobilized laccase from Trichoderma viridePers NFCCI-2745 to heavy metals, detergent and copper chelating agents. The concentrations and combinations of cations influenced the activity of immobilized enzyme and its yield. The immobilized Cu–Ba alginate enzyme showed comparatively higher activity compared to the Cu-alginate enzyme. Most of the metal ions tested enhanced laccase activity at lower concentration. Immobilized laccase retained more than 70 % of its activity even in the presence of 20 mM copper chelating agents like EDTA and sodium thioglycolic acid. Sodium azide, on the other hand, inhibited 80 % of the activity of all the beads even at a very low concentration of 0.5 mM. Cu–Ba and Cu-Ni alginate enzyme exhibited comparatively higher tolerance than Cu-alginate beads to EDTA and sodium thioglycolate. Tween 20 and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide significantly increased the activity of all the beads. These properties of the immobilized laccase may be aptly considered and suitably utilized in treating phenolic effluents that may contain heavy metals, detergents and certain copper chelating agents which may otherwise pose a threat to enzymatic activity.

An experimental-analytical investigation on the emissive behavior of two high-performance motorcycles belonging to the most recent European legislative category was being performed by the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Naples Federico II. The study was focused on these vehicles because the pertinent information was not very exhaustive in the scientific literature, with particular reference to the assessment of cold-start extra emissions of this particular two-wheeler vehicular class (Euro-3 legislative category and displacement >750 cm3), that is playing a rising central role in private mobility, also in urban context. From this motivation, in this study a calculation procedure was designed and optimized to model the cold-start transient behavior of motorcycles; through this methodology, it is possible to evaluate the cold transient duration, the emitted quantities during the cold phase and the relevant time-dependence function. The whole procedure was applied on the carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon exhaust cold extra emissions of the selected motorcycles, which were measured on the chassis dynamometer. Experimental tests were performed in cold and hot operating conditions, during both driving cycle regulated by law and real-world driving cycles.

Studies on the appropriate strategies for supplier relationship management vary according to the greening approaches of a firm. The relative power of greening approaches for suppliers remains untapped. This research aims to fill this gap, arguing that firm attitudes toward going green and their dominance in supply chains affect their corresponding environmental management practices. The case study method is utilized. The main objects of study include Taiwanese firms in high-tech industries. Eleven firms were selected for in-depth investigation. Supplier management approaches are investigated from six different perspectives: supplier policy, information sharing/communication, joint action of supplier/buyer, relationship-handling issues, supplier support, and relationship quality. Results show that each case group emphasizes different perspectives. Thus, this study coined four strategies: strategic alliance, arm’s length relationship, partnership, and ongoing relationship.

This study presents a life cycle assessment of a crop sequence of cauliflower and tomato that is subjected to three different fertilization treatments; the crops were cultivated in a Mediterranean region. The main objective of this study is the assessment of organic and mineral fertilizers that are applied to a crop sequence of tomato and cauliflower. Two allocation procedures that are based on the crop cultivation time and the degree of nitrogen mineralization were implemented to allocate the compost burden to the crops. The results indicated that the crops fertilized with home compost achieved the best environmental performance in all impact categories, regardless of the allocation methods, with the exception of marine eutrophication and terrestrial acidification. The comparison of the impact (kg eq. of pollutant/day) on the entire horticultural cycle with the individual crops indicates that cycle yielded the least amount of impact among the assessed categories. The crops that were fertilized with the home compost using the allocation method, which is based on the degree of nitrogen in the soil, exhibited the least impact value among all categories. However, the allocation procedure based on the cultivation duration was considered to be the better attributional method given the high degree of uncertainty in the nitrogen degradation. This uncertainty is related to the complex interactions among the variables to metabolize the following nutrients (i.e., nitrogen) of fertilizers: variety of crops, crop management, soil type, weather conditions and fertilizer.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the major toxic heavy metals because it bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in animal and human bodies via the food chain. To eliminate heavy metal contamination, plants are being used as removal agents of pollutants/toxic chemicals from the environment. The present study was mainly focused on elucidating the potential phytotoxic effects of Hg heavy metal ion exposure on Sesbania grandiflora seedlings. Growth of seedlings was significantly affected (56 %) at 60 mg L-1 Hg concentration. The level of chlorophyll pigment contents was increased in Hg-treated plants compared to the control. Malondialdehyde content and antioxidative enzyme activities were found to be significantly increased by increasing the concentration of Hg exposure up to 40 mg L-1 while slightly decreased at higher doses. The DNA alterations appearing in the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles of leaf and root tissues following Hg heavy metal exposure included the disappearance of normal DNA bands and the appearance of new bands compared to the untreated controls. This result strongly indicated that genomic template stability was significantly affected by Hg-induced stress in S. grandiflora seedlings. It is concluded that DNA polymorphisms detected by RAPD fingerprinting analysis could be used as potential molecular markers for the evaluation of Hg heavy metal ion-induced genotoxic effects in other plant species.

Wastewater from textile manufacturing introduces recalcitrant organic compounds, such as dyes and toxic by-products into the environment, where advanced oxidation processes are used to treat toxic and non-biodegradable organic pollutants which cannot be removed by traditional methods. H2O2/UV, photo-Fenton and heterogeneous photocatalysis (TiO2/H2O2/UV) processes were used, and the effect of the hydraulic retention time on total organic carbon (TOC) removal was evaluated by fitting the analytical data for the three processes to different kinetic models. The high correlation between empirical and modelled data was accomplished with a pseudo-first-order model for the three processes (R 2 = 0.9823 ± 0.017). Mineralisation, decolourisation and disinfection of textile wastewater were investigated with laboratory-scale experiments for each process. Data showed that when 5 g/L H2O2 was used, heterogeneous photocatalysis was the most effective method for the removal of TOC (94.55 %). With respect to colour, all three processes achieved nearly 100 % removal (99.6, 99.3 and 99.9 % at 120 min for the H2O2/UV, photo-Fenton and TiO2/H2O2/UV processes, respectively).

Regarding the price of meat product filling in comparison with the negligible cost of the collagen casings, whole roll of the casings is discharged only on suspicion of a small cut during handling. Once the casings are designed to be biologically resistant, they represent relatively problematic waste that is nowadays rather transported to landfills. This represents a significant cost; once the role is opened, it becomes extremely voluminous. The long-term study that was carried out on a commercial scale assessed two methods of utilization: composting of highly disintegrated casings and composting of charred casings. Robust qualitative and financial analysis revealed that the composting of charred casings was more meaningful both from agrochemical and financial point of view.

The presence of radioactive substances in wastewaters poses a problem for public health due to the lack of the radioisotope-binding materials. In the present study, the yttrium-binding activity of sodium and calcium salts of alginic acid was investigated in a batch sorption system. The results showed that both polymers are able to form complexes with yttrium ions. The effects of contact time, initial concentration of the metal and pH of the media on the yttrium-binding processes were experimentally investigated. The equilibrium time was found to be at least 60 min required for adsorption of yttrium by alginate compounds regardless of the initial metal concentrations. Langmuir and Freundlich sorption models were applied for description of the binding processes. The results showed that the Langmuir model is best fit within the whole range of pH values used in the studies. The maximum adsorption capacity of calcium and sodium alginates was found to be 99.01 and 181.81 mg/g, respectively, at pH 6.0. Kinetic studies showed that reactions between alginate compounds and yttrium are corresponding to the pseudo-second-order model. These results obviously show that alginate salts may be successfully used as materials for elimination of radioisotopes from water disposals.

Reopening of schools is usually associated with increased urban traffic and is likely to exacerbate traffic-induced noise level in metropolitan cities. This study was performed to investigate the role of reopening of schools on noise level in one of the most crowded districts of Tehran City. For this, two different noise criteria of LAeq10min and SPL were measured during working days at three occasions of morning, noon, and evening in summer (school holiday season) and autumn (reopening season of schools in Iran). According to the results, the average equivalent sound pressure level was 72.3 dB (A) in summer and 72.9 dB (A) in autumn. The P value of 0.44 obtained from t test indicated that there is no significant difference between the equivalent sound pressure level of the holiday and reopening seasons in the district. Further, the value of the indices Traffic Noise Index, Noise Impact Index, and noise pollution level was constant within both seasons studied. This may be due to the rigid surface of the passages such as asphalt pavement, and high-rise buildings, as well as the facade of buildings that can gradually overshadow the role of school-induced traffic on noise pollution in metropolitan cities.

Thorium reclamation was studied using nano-iron oxide-impregnated cellulose acetate beads to gain insights into the adsorption mechanism, kinetics and thermodynamics. The designed experiments were thoroughly investigated as a function of solution pH, initial thorium (IV) ion concentration, adsorbent dose and nano-iron oxide loading in the cellulose acetate matrix. The batch adsorption of Th (IV) ions revealed the highly pH dependent (pH range 3.0-9.0) behaviour with maximum sorption at pH 6.0 and equilibrium being achieved within 2 h for maximum concentration of 100 mg/L at 298 K. Rapid adsorption of 50 ± 0.2 % was observed within first 10 min. The kinetics data are best described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R 2 = 0.9996) and intraparticle diffusion model. The equilibrium adsorption process was fitted with the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich and Temkin models which yield good fit with Langmuir isotherm equation indicating monolayer adsorption process. The calculated thermodynamics parameter reveals spontaneous and exothermic adsorption process. Further, the desorption was Th (IV) ions that was easily achieved using 0.05 N HNO3 which suggests the reusability of the adsorbent for multiple use.

The efficiency and the reuse of a bisphenol-A molecularly imprinted polymer (BPA-MIP) were evaluated for the selective removal of several phenolic compounds and phenoxyacid herbicides from environmental water samples. The proper sorption and selective recognition ability of the MIP were studied in aqueous solution by the batch equilibrium technique. Furthermore, removal of the analytes studied by the MIP was carried out from river, tap and ground waters, and different factors, such as the sample volume, the solution pH or the analyte concentration in the sample, were studied. Results obtained indicated a rapid sorption of analytes by the MIP, being the sorption dependent on the concentration of analyte in the solution. The MIP showed an excellent affinity toward phenolic compounds and phenoxyacid herbicides, and removal efficiencies of over 70 % were achieved in aqueous solution. Removal efficiency was not affected by the pH or by the water type, although it was affected by the volume of water especially for nitrophenols when amounts in solution were ≥1 mg. Removal efficiencies recorded by the MIP for the highest volume of water assayed were around 20 % higher than those obtained with traditional sorbents for chlorophenols and bisphenols, and similar removal efficiencies were obtained for phenoxyacid herbicides. The use of the MIP provided a selective, simple, reliable and viable solution for removing these compounds from water, and it could be re-used at least 20 times without losing any removal efficiency.

In this analysis, three input parameters temperature, pH and electrical conductivity were chosen due to their easy and less costly measurement technique, and a package of six models were presented for estimating the concentrations of dissolved oxygen, DO percentage, biological oxygen demand, chloride, alkalinity and total hardness. 3001 data sets (a 3001 × 8 data array) were used to training the models. The models have been tested in order to verify their prediction values, and the resultedR factor (the rate of precision) for each model equals to 0.93, 0.95, 0.77, 0.82, 0.85 and 0.92, respectively. This proves that the package can be used to estimate the concentrations of water quality parameters with accuracy close to the reality. The River data collected from 210 monitoring stations located in all over Ireland have been used. The data set covers different conditions and makes the model applicable in many different places and conditions. For development of all models, feed-forward algorithm used for training, as well as the Levenberg-Marquardt and tansign(x) functions as learning and transfer functions.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has tremendous potential for revealing transport processes in engineered and geologic systems. Here, we utilize MRI to image nanoparticle (NP) transport through a saturated coarse-grained system. Commercially available paramagnetically tagged NPs are used; the paramagnetic tag making the NP visible to MRI. NP transport was imaged as NPs migrated through packed columns of quartz and dolomite gravel. Changes in T2-weighted image intensity were calibrated to provide fully quantitative maps of NP concentration at regular time intervals (T 2being the spin–spin relaxation time of 1H nuclei). Transport of nanoparticles was significantly retarded in dolomite compared to quartz due to electrostatic attraction between nanoparticle and dolomite surfaces. NP concentration profiles were evaluated with the CXTFIT computer package to estimate nanoparticle transport parameters at multiple points along the length of the column. This provided temporally resolved parameters that standard breakthrough curve analysis cannot provide. Particle–surface interaction energy profiles were described through Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. While dispersion coefficients and fast deposition rate constant (k fast) were found to increase with distance, deposition rate constant (k) and collision efficiency (a) were found to decrease with distance. These length-dependant variations have significant scaling-up implications for transport models used to predict NP transport in natural and engineered coarse-grained systems, such as sustainable urban drainage systems and river beds.

Groundwater is one of the main sources of drinking water in Ranchi district and hence its vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are more susceptible to contamination is very important. In the present study, GIS-based fuzzy pattern recognition model was demonstrated for groundwater vulnerability to pollution assessment. The model considers the seven hydrogeological factors [depth to water table (D), net recharge (R), aquifer media (A), soil media (S), topography (T), impact of vadose zone (I), and hydraulic conductivity (C)] that affect and control the groundwater contamination. The model was applied for groundwater vulnerability assessment in Ranchi district, Jharkhand, India and validated by the observed nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the study area. The performance of the developed model is compared to the standard DRASTIC model. It was observed that GIS-based fuzzy pattern recognition model have better performance than the standard DRASTIC model. Aquifer vulnerability maps produced in the present study can be used for environmental planning and predictive groundwater management. Further, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to evaluate the influence of single parameters on aquifer vulnerability index.

The application of a boron-doped diamond electrode in electrochemical water disinfection was investigated with respect to its inactivation potential of three indicator microorganisms. Drinking water and the effluent of a wastewater treatment plant spiked with Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were electrolysed under different conditions in a batch reactor. All three bacteria species could be successfully inactivated in drinking water. The disinfection rate depended on the applied charge, with far more efficiency at high current densities (208 and 333 mA/cm2) under high ozone concentrations measured in contrast to low current densities (42 mA/cm2) where bacterial inactivation was rather driven by hydroxyl radicals. When oxidising a target pharmaceutical compound in the wastewater treatment plant effluent, the water matrix exhibited an ozone scavenging effect. The resulting decrease in the efficiency could not be detected for the disinfection experiments in the complex water matrix compared to drinking water, which indicates a different disinfection mechanism, probably due to reactive chlorine species.

As an alternative strategy for phosphate removal, biochar (black carbon) has characteristics superior to those of widely used adsorptive media, from both economic and environmental points of view. In this study, various types of biochar derived from oak wood, bamboo wood, maize residue, soybean stover, and peanut shell were tested for evaluation of phosphate removal. After 24 h of reaction time, the phosphate removal was limited (2.0–9.4 %) in case of general adsorptive media. However, interestingly, among various biochars, peanut shell-derived biochar (PSB) exhibited the best performance, showing the highest phosphate removal rate, 61.3 % (3.8 mg PO4-P g PSB-1). We attribute this high value to the proper structural properties of PSB, such as BET-specific surface area of 348.96 m2 g-1 and mineral/phosphorus ratio (Mg/P = 3.46 and Ca/P = 47.6). Adsorption equilibrium and kinetics of phosphate at different temperature (10, 20, and 30oC) were well explained in the whole experimental region by Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of PSB was 6.79 mg g-1 for phosphate at 30oC. These findings suggest that PSB has great potential as an alternative and renewable adsorptive media for phosphate removal.

The aeolian transport of dust, sand and salt is a common process in southern Kazakhstan, as well as in the Aral Sea region. Anthropogenic desertification and the desiccation of the Aral Sea have occurred in the basin since 1960. The whole area of the desiccated seafloor is now a new salt desert, and it became an active source of dust, sand or salt storms. The newly formed Aralkum desert was found to be the dominant source of aeolian sand, dust and salt aerosols. Additionally, the most frequent storms were observed in Pre-Aral Karakum and Kyzylkum deserts, where these storms occurred from 40 to 110 days average per year. Aeolian sands and dusts flowed mainly from eastern and north-eastern to the western and south-western directions. The highest amount of sand transportation was observed at the Aral Sea meteorological station. The lowest amount was at the Kazaly meteorological station. Furthermore, transported sand mass has increased at this station during last decade. Most meteorological stations found three maximums of sand and dust transportation, namely in 1966–1970, 1984–1986, and 2000–2002, that is, three periods, like a cycle about every 15 years. Overall, most of the meteorological stations showed the slight decrease in sand and dust transportation that may be explained by fixing sand control measures and other activities which have been done against deflation processes in the region.

Predictive mapping of susceptibility to earthquake-triggered landslides (ETLs) commonly uses distance to fault as spatial predictor, regardless of style-of-faulting. Here, we examined the hypothesis that the spatial pattern of ETLs is influenced by style-of-faulting based on distance distribution analysis and Fry analysis. The Yingxiu–Beichuan fault (YBF) in China and a huge number of landslides that ruptured and occurred, respectively, during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake permitted this study because the style-of-faulting along the YBF varied from its southern to northern parts (i.e. mainly thrust-slip in the southern part, oblique-slip in the central part and mainly strike-slip in the northern part). On the YBF hanging-wall, ETLs at 4.4-4.7 and 10.3-11.5 km from the YBF are likely associated with strike- and thrust-slips, respectively. On the southern and central parts of the hanging-wall, ETLs at 7.5-8 km from the YBF are likely associated with oblique-slips. These findings indicate that the spatial pattern of ETLs is influenced by style-of-faulting. Based on knowledge about the style-of-faulting and by using evidential belief functions to create a predictor map based on proximity to faults, we obtained higher landslide prediction accuracy than by using unclassified faults. When distance from unclassified parts of the YBF is used as predictor, the prediction accuracy is 80 %; when distance from parts of the YBF, classified according to style-of-faulting, is used as predictor, the prediction accuracy is 93 %. Therefore, mapping and classification of faults and proper spatial representation of fault control on occurrence of ETLs are important in predictive mapping of susceptibility to ETLs.

This work focused on the bioremoval of heavy metals by mangrove-derived Trichoderma biomass in the artificial sewage water. Of the 12 isolates tested, Hypocrea lixii TSK8 (JQ809340) was found to be a potent strain in removal of lead and iron. The bioremoval was enhanced through adsorption kinetics and process optimization using statistical model of the response surface methodology. The magnitude of Langmuir constant was 0.64 L mg-1 and 0.42 L mg-1 for lead and iron, respectively. Adsorption capacity was determined as 49.2 mg g-1 and 51.3 mg g-1 for lead and iron, respectively. The optimized conditions for maximum removal of lead and iron were standardized. The biosorption of metals was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopic and X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometer analyses. The results revealed that dried biomass of the H. lixii TSK8 was a potent biosorbent for efficient bioremoval of lead and iron.

This study aimed to identify possibilities to improve the quality of the stabilized biowaste coming from the mechanical-biological treatment of municipal solid waste produced in Rome for possible recovery rather than landfilling. The waste sampled before and after the first and the fourth week of aerobic biodegradation as well as different particle size classes composing the biostabilized materials were characterized in order to investigate the content and distribution of contaminants. Results showed, firstly, that the stabilized biowaste was not biologically stable after 4 weeks of biostabilization process, presenting dynamic respiration index >1,000 mg O2 kg VS-1 h-1. Heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) content fulfilled the requirements for utilization, but by contrast, their release in water phase was quite high and not complying with Italian regulatory limits for waste recovery. In order to raise the quality, the biological process management should be improved by increasing the water amount to add to the rotting waste since the output material had moisture (19.7 % WM) lower than the recommended content for an optimized aerobic biodegradation (>40 %). Furthermore, fractions having particle size higher than 10 mm, composed of high content of impurities and heavy metals, should be separated by obtaining a reduction in chemical-physical contamination. Finer waste flow (<10 mm) can be recovered in environmental remediation activities, whereas coarser fractions (>10 mm) can be used in waste-to-energy plants, given the great content of high calorific value materials and the compliance with characteristics defined for solid recovered fuels.

A vulnerable point of the currently used approach to the search for the new species capable of abnormal accumulation (hyperaccumulation) of trace elements is that most studies have been conducted in laboratory conditions and focused on the determination of a limited number of elements. We propose a methodology that enables screening for multi-element accumulating plants. This methodology is based on two analytical steps: a semiquantitative analysis mode by ICP-MS that allows selection of plant samples which are enriched in one or more trace elements, and a quantitative analysis necessary for confirmation of the results derived from the first step. The proposed methodology was tested in the study of 30 plant samples. Ten elements with the highest concentrations obtained in the semiquantitative analyses were determined quantitatively with the following detection limits (in mg/kg): 0.001 for Ag, 0.08 for Ba, 0.002 for Cd, 0.005 for Co, 0.01 for Cr, 0.003 for Cu, 1.4 for Fe, 0.012 for Mn, 0.03 for Ni, 0.006 for Pb, 0.001 for Sc, 0.001 for Tl and 0.06 for Zn. The CRM recovery values obtained were in the range of 80–103 %, and the precision of the measurements (as RSD) was in the range of 0.34–4.05 %. We also propose a simple method for evaluation of typical element concentrations in plants collected for analyses. Our approach provides a novel screening method for both identification of new hyperaccumulators and for studying a larger number of elements accumulated by plants. This method may find its application in environmental biotechnology.