Abstract Arsenic (As) mobilization in alluvial aquifers is facilitated by microbially catalyzed redox transformations that depend on the availability of electron acceptors (EAs). In this study, the response of an As-contaminated groundwater microbial community from West Bengal, India towards varied EAs was elucidated through microcosm based 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Acinetobacter, Deinococcus

Abstract The presence of coal-based power plants and coal mine in the Waterberg area subjects the Mokolo River to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as mercury (Hg). Mercury is an extremely toxic element. Thus, monitoring and chemical speciation of Hg in water bodies; particularly in sediments is a vital tool for assessing water quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels

Abstract An emerging threat to membrane application is the seasonal proliferation of algae in water sources such as rivers, reservoirs and lakes. This study investigated the link between feed parameters and the membrane performance of a pilot-scale microfiltration (MF) plant for 7 months. The seasonal succession of algae in relation to temperature dynamics was monitored. Temperature-dependent seasonal

Abstract Antibiotic contamination raises concerns over antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which can severely impact the human health and environment. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a widely used antibiotic that is incompletely metabolized in the body. In this study, the research objectives were (1) to isolate the native strain of Trichoderma sp. from the environment and analyze the tolerance toward SMX

Abstract The photocatalytic activity of bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) toward sulfamethoxazole (SMX) elimination was investigated. BiOCl was synthesized according to a simple method using thiourea. Its physicochemical characteristics were determined by nitrogen physisorption, X-Ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Simulated

Abstract A comparative study of the batch mesophilic anaerobic digestion of piggery waste was carried out with the addition of 5% biochar and 5% activated carbon. The results obtained showed that the bioreactors amended with biochar increased cumulative methane production, the kinetic constant for methane production and the COD removal efficiency compared to the control reactors and reactors with activated

Abstract This study measured the effect of low activated sludge dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on a membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating real urban wastewater with respect to organic matter and nitrogen removal efficiency and transmembrane pressure evolution. For this purpose, a full-scale experimental pre-denitrification MBR system was operated at a constant permeate flow rate of Q = 0.45 m3h−1

Abstract A new material, polyacrylic acid-b-polyptyrene (PAA-b-PS) covered Ni/Fe nanoparticles (PAA-b-PS-nZVI-Ni), was developed and evaluated for the selective dechlorination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA) in the presence of potential interferents. The average size of the PAA-b-PS coated Fe/Ni bimetallic nanoparticles was approximately 50 nm, which resulted from agglomeration prevention by PAA-b-PS

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the PAH contamination levels and to assess the health risk of PAH in soils of two typical thermal power plants. The PAH content was detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The carcinogenic risk and the hazard quotient were assessed for health risk using the “Chinese Technical Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Contaminated Sites HJ 25.3-2014

Abstract This work assessed the catabolic versatility of functional genes in hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria obtained from the rhizosphere of plants harvested in aged polluted soil sites in Ogoni and their attenuation efficacy in a bioremediation study. Rhizosphere soil was enumerated for its hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria. The bacteria were in-vitro screened and selected through the quantification

Abstract The scope of this work is the evaluation of the non-carcinogenic occupational risk related to foundry emissions, focusing on the category of workers involved in olfactometric assessments. Odor pollution from industrial activities such as foundries is a serious environmental concern. Sensorial techniques (e.g. dynamic olfactometry, EN13725:2003) currently represent the preferred method for

Abstract The paper presents the results of the study on the transport systems in metropolises by stating the interdisciplinary problems and prospects of applying the environmental and economic approach to the optimization of transport communication in megacities. The main problems of transport communications in large cities have been considered. The world experience in managing transport systems is

Abstract The purpose of this study was to characterize the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and Fe (Fe) in drinking water sources in primary schools in Sindh Province, Pakistan and to quantify potential health risks among those school children. We conducted a representative, cross-sectional study among 425 primary schools in Sindh province of Pakistan. We used risk assessment

Abstract The popularity of nanotechnology results from the possibility of obtaining materials that have better chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, or optical properties. Nano-sized materials are characterized by an increased surface area, which improves their chemical reactivity and mobility. Due to their enhanced reactivity and appropriately small size, some nanoparticles are used as antimicrobial

Abstract Defluoridation of groundwater was performed in a batch reactor using bivalve shell powder (BSP) as adsorbent. The physicochemical characteristics of BSP, studied by Fourier Transform Infrared, X-ray Diffraction and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry after dissolution, have shown that BSP was mainly composed of crystalline CaCO3 (∼97.8%). The effects of pH, initial fluoride

Abstract Ambient air TSP concentrations, dry deposition fluxes and particulate-bound mercury (Hg(p)) concentrations were measured and analyzed at a complex (traffic, residential and commercial) site. Zhang and He’s model[1 Zhang, L.; He, Z. Technical Note: An Empirical Algorithm Estimating Dry Deposition Velocity of Fine, Coarse and Giant Particles. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 2014, 14, 3729–3737. DOI: 10.

Abstract Heavy metals are among the most common pollutants affecting biological systems when ingested with drinking water and food. Heavy metal ions are capable of bioaccumulation in a human body and could cause various metabolic disorders. Here we present the results of using a unique glauconite from the Barguzinsky deposit as an adsorbent for heavy metals. The physicochemical properties of glauconite

Abstract Hg2+ toxicity is one of the most common chemical poisonings that occurs mainly from drinking polluted water. In the current work, Phycocyanin (PC) was exploited as a fluorescent sensor for sensitive and selective detection of Hg2+ in an aqueous system. PC-Hg2+ interaction was monitored using a spectro-fluorometer under different buffered solutions at pH values of 6,7,8,9, or 10 above the isoelectric

Abstract Textiles that are in direct contact with human skin are problematic due to the possibility of transferring the dyes or their aromatic amine metabolites through direct contact. 18 samples of women underwear panties of different colors and fabrics materials were examined for their content of azo dyes using thermogravimetric-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TGA-GCMS) technique. The nature

Abstract Taichung Science Park in central Taiwan releases ambient air pollutants to the atmosphere. This issue has attracted much attention over the past few years. This study concerns seasonal concentrations of atmospheric particles and metallic elements and particle size distributions. A M.O.U.D.I sampler is used at a Taichung Science Park sampling site to obtain relevant data. Fe, followed by Al

Abstract In this study presence of virulence genes in multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from Mula-Mutha river, Pune, India was undertaken. The objective was to understand whether the isolates were of diarrhoeagenic or of environmental origin. This was essential since the river flows through urban and rural parts of Pune and its water is used not only for industrial and agricultural purposes

Abstract Ibuprofen degradation and energy generation in a single-chamber Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) were evaluated using a bioanode fabricated from devil fish bone char (BCA) synthesized by calcination in air atmosphere. Its performance was compared with conventional carbon felt (CF). Bone char textural properties were determined by nitrogen adsorption. Before and after, the bacterial colonization on

Abstract Catalytic processes based on Fenton-like reactions on the degradation of organic pollutants have been improved by accelerating the redox cycling of metal ions. This work presents, at first, the results obtained for the heterogeneous degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) by copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) in presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydrazine (N2H4) as redox cycle accelerator. Atomic absorption

Abstract This paper presents the results of predicting nutrients in rivers on national level by the use of two artificial intelligence methodologies. Artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to predict annual concentration of nitrate and phosphate in rivers of eleven European countries. For creation of an optimal model of prediction, 23 industrial, economical and agricultural

Abstract In order to explore the effect of CaO on the ecological risk of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in Oily sludge (OS), the incineration experiments of OS with and without calcium oxide (CaO) additive were carried out respectively in a horizontal tube furnace at the temperature ranging from 800 °C to 1000 °C. Furthermore, the ecological risk based on Risk Assessment Code (RAC) of Cr

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate cytogenotoxicity in mammalian cells induced by ingestion of superficial water from SESS. For this purpose, surface water was collected from two points of SESS: São Vicente Channel (SVC) and Piaçaguera Channel (PIC). Four groups (n = 5) of adult male Wistar (8 weeks old) received for 5 days: (a) filtered tap water (water control), (b) tap water with 2.4%

Abstract The adsorptive removal of a pollutant from water is significantly affected by the presence of coexisting ions with various concentrations. Here, we have studied adsorption of arsenate [As(V)] by calcined Mg–Fe–(CO3)–LDH in the presence of different cations (Mg2+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Fe3+) and anions (CO32‒, Cl‒, PO43‒, SO42‒, and NO3‒) with their different concentrations to simulate the field

Abstract Quercetin was investigated for its role as a reducing agent in biosynthesizing CuO/ZnO nanocomposite, its subsequent surface functionalization and influence in Rhodamine B dye degradation and biocidal activity. The as synthesized quercetin functionalized CuO/ZnO nanocomposite (CuO/ZnO@Q) was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission

Abstract The arsenic speciation, the abundance of arsenite-oxidizing bacteria, and microbial community structures in the groundwater, surface water, and soil from a gold mining area were explored using the PHREEQC model, cloning-ddPCR of the aioA gene, and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. The analysis of the aioA gene showed that arsenite-oxidizing bacteria retrieved from

Abstract This research aims to provide an alternative eco-friendly way to obtain silver species and assess their bactericidal activity. This study reports the synthesis of Ag2O nanoparticles and Ag nanoparticles reduced with a green synthesis method, using a low-cost and commercial Aloe vera extract. The crystalline phases of Ag and Ag2O nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The oxidation

Abstract This study is screened for naphthalene degrading strains from a heavily polluted area with high naphthalene concentration in the rainwater for the effective removal of naphthalene from rainwater. Recently, naphthalene biodegradation has been achieved in water. However, the influences of organics and inorganics in the rainwater on the biodegradation of naphthalene remains unclear. The naphthalene

Abstract Ambient air pollution exposure is associated with exacerbating respiratory illnesses. Race/ethnicity (R/E) have been shown to influence an individual’s vulnerability to environmental health risks such as fine particles (PM 2.5). This study aims to assess the R/E disparities in vulnerability to air pollution with regards to respiratory hospital admissions in San Diego County, California where

Abstract In present study, dyeing wastewater samples were collected from three typical dyeing wastewater treatment plants in Wujiang, Shengze and Shanghai, China. Physicochemical properties and biotoxicity indicators (luminescent bacteria acute toxicity and umu genotoxicity) were tested and the relationships among them were analyzed. The results revealed that two biotoxicity indicators varied significantly

Abstract 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is an endocrine disrupting compound and persistent organic pollutant that has been associated with diabetes in several epidemiological studies. Oleuropein, a major phenolic compound in olive fruit, is a superior antioxidant and radical scavenger. This study aimed to examine the effects of oleuropein against TCDD-induced stress response in a pancreatic

Abstract Antimicrobial resistance is a major concern for human and animal health, projected to deteriorate with time and given current trends of antimicrobial usage. Antimicrobial use, particularly in healthcare and agriculture, can result in the release of antimicrobials into surface waters, promoting the development of antibiotic resistance in the environment, and potentially leading to human health

Abstract This research is intended to study the effect of water flow on the release flux of DNAPLs, which have been deposited on the riverbed surface after sudden water pollution accidents. Those contaminants will slowly diffuse from the riverbed into the overlying water body through hydrodynamic action, causing ongoing and serious water pollution. By taking dichloromethane as a typical contaminant

Abstract Deodorization of gases emitted from Tanneries using eco-friendly and cost-effective approaches is necessary for the safe disposal of industrial emissions. There is limited research available on the treatment of odorous gases emitted from tanneries using bio-filter. In this endeavor, pilot-scale studies were performed in a 2.7 m3 bio-filter with synthetic gas mixture containing hydrogen sulfide

Abstract There is currently controversy over the use of quantum dots (QDs) in biological applications due to their toxic effects. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the toxic effect of chemical and biogenic (synthesized by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici) cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdSQDs) using a bacterial model of Escherichia coli and sprouts of Lactuca sativa L

Abstract A novel adsorbent, called dithiocarboxyl cornstalk (DTCS), was developed, and the effects of various parameters on the adsorption performance for Cd(II) with DTCS were investigated in this work. The results suggested that DTCS presented the efficient removal capacity for Cd(II) when the pH values, adsorption temperature, and oscillation rate were 3.0 to 6.0, 313 K, and 150 rpm, respectively

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify cardiovascular effects of relevant concentrations of Cd and Hg alone and in combination as a mixture in water. This was achieved by administering to male Sprague–Dawley rats via gavage 0.62 mg/kg Cd or 1.23 mg/kg Hg, or a combination of 0.62 mg/kg Cd and 1.23 mg/kg Hg in the co-exposure group for 28 days. Concentrations were the rat equivalence dosages

Abstract Measurement of skin exposure to particles using interception (e.g., cotton gloves) and removal (e.g., wiping) sampling techniques could be inaccurate because these substrates do not have the same topography and adhesion characteristics as skin. The objective of this study was to compare particle transfer and adherence to cotton gloves, cotton gloves with artificial sebum, and a pre-moistened

Abstract The main purpose of this study is to determine the differences between anthropogenic sources and lithogenic sources of the content of certain potentially toxic elements in the region of Mitrovica, Republic of Kosovo. For that purpose, the results of a study on the spatial distribution and enrichment of cobalt, chromium and nickel in surface soil from Mitrovica and its environ, are reported

Abstract The article examines an important problem of studying greenhouse gas emissions in forest ecosystems. The CH4 emission and absorption dynamics in the soil have been studied based on the physical–chemical and microbiological analysis of forest products. The changes in forest methanogenesis in relation concerning the value of the hydrothermal coefficient have been examined. It was established

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity of shoot dry biomass and the capacity of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) extraction by the Vetiver and Tifton 85 grasses when cultivated in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF-CWs) whose porous medium was saturated with solutions containing different nutrient availability. The grass shoots were cut

Abstract Representative members of surface water microbiota were obtained from three unrelated municipal sites in Oklahoma by direct plating under selection by the hydrophobic biocide triclosan. Multiple methods were employed to determine if intrinsic triclosan resistance reflected resistance to hydrophobic molecules by virtue of outer membrane impermeability. While all but one organism isolated in

Abstract In the present study, the electrocoagulation (EC) performance of a Mg-Mg system was applied for the industrial wastewater treatment, from an industrial park that covers different activities such as: food, automotive, pharmaceutical, chemistry and cosmetics, after primary clarification. The effects of major operating parameters such as pH, reaction time, and current density were investigated

Abstract Galvanizing industries generate large amounts of effluents rich in toxic and carcinogenic chromium(VI) species. Effective and sustainable treatments are required to comply with environmental regulations. This work focused on the development of innovative treatments for Cr(VI) by its removal from a galvanizing industry wastewater (pHinitial = 5.9) containing Cr (78 mg.L−1) and Zn (2178 mg.L−1)

Abstract Although sclerotia are known as the resting bodies of fungi, the exact biochemical properties of melanized sclerotia that allow them to remain in the soil and retain their structure are unclear. This study aims to examine the mobility and accumulation of metals in melanin-pigmented sclerotia from low pH forest soils, focusing on Al, Cu, Zn, As, and Pb, and to discuss the regulating factors

Abstract As environment emerging contaminants of anthropogenic origin, antidiabetic drugs are present in the range of high ng/L to ng/mL in the influent and the effluent of the waste water treatment plant (WWTP). The metformin compound is the most used hypoglycemic agent in the world. The aim of this study was to develop a new analytic method, based on solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography

Abstract In the present study, the adsorption behavior of ciprofloxacin (CIP) from aqueous solution onto MWCNTs/Al2O3 was studied using batch experiments. Physical characterization of MWCNTs/Al2O3 was determined by SEM, XRD, and BET. The effective parameters investigated included: initial CIP concentration, contact time, MWCNTs/Al2O3 mass, and temperature. Based on experimental results and correlation

Abstract Removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from water was evaluated using a low-cost coated sand adsorbent for potential application in a flow-through filter system using permeable adsorption media. Manganese-aluminum coated sand (MACS) was investigated as a hybrid metal oxide based adsorbent due to the potential efficacy of manganese oxide and aluminum oxide for adsorption of Cr(VI) from water

Abstract The relationship of various benthic metrics to physical habitat metrics, pyrethroids, metals and sediment parameters was evaluated for a 10 year data set in Pleasant Grove Creek (Roseville, California) using univariate linear models, stepwise multiple regressions, and canonical correlation analysis. In general, total physical habitat scores in this residential stream were considered to be

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate 13 phthalic acid esters (PAEs) with medium or long straight-alkyl-chain, branching or unsaturated side chains, because their structural characteristics make them difficult to biodegrade or highly toxic. A biodegradability and biotoxicity multi-effect pharmacophore model was built using comprehensive evaluation method. The results suggested that

Abstract The physicochemical treatment (PT) of food industry wastewater was investigated. In the first stage, calcium magnesium acetate (CaMgAc4) was synthesized using eggshell (biocalcium), magnesium oxide and acetic acid in a 1:1:1 stoichiometric ratio. In the synthesis process, the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) indicated that the reaction was endothermic and spontaneous. The samples were

Abstract In this study, graphene oxide and composites of graphene oxide-iron modified clinoptilolite were synthesized and used for arsenate removal from aqueous solution. All adsorbents were characterized using X-ray diffraction and specific surface area analysis. The specific surface areas of composites were found to be less than the iron modified clinoptilolite. The time required to reach equilibrium

Abstract In this study, a lab-scale upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was applied to the treatment of artificial electronics industry wastewater containing tetramethylammonium-hydroxide (TMAH), monoethanolamine (MEA), and isopropyl-alcohol (IPA) in order to evaluate process performance and degradation properties. During 800 days of operation, 96% efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD)

Abstract With the rapid increase in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment for diverse applications and to contribute to the understanding of suitability of nanoparticles (NPs) in pharmaceutical effluent treatment, this study was conceptualized. Here, we profiled the concentration of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu and Ni) in pharmaceutical effluent samples over three sampling periods using atomic

Abstract The focus of this research was on the catalytic reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas for the water conservation. Zero-valent iron (Fe0) with bimetallic catalyst that carrier supported palladium (Pd) and copper (Cu) was innovatively applied in this study. First, XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analyses and experiments were conducted to study the mechanism of the catalytic reduction of

Abstract Ammonia (NH3) produced inside livestock houses can adversely affect animal welfare and performance and degrade the environment. In broiler houses, NH3 levels are mitigated by applying acidifiers to the litter but acidifiers provide short-term NH3 suppression requiring heavy or repeated applications. Microbial additives may provide longer-term NH3 control through nitrogen (N) immobilization

Abstract Nickel-palladium bimetallic nanocrystallite supported mesoporous silica/silica nanoparticles (MSPs/MSNPs) made at a controlled ratio of Pd/Ni via organotrialkoxysilane mediated reduction of palladium cations are reported. The organotrialkoxysilane serve as a template for the stabilization and formation of bimetallic Pd-Ni nanocrystallite within MSPs/MSNPs that are characterized by TEM, EDX