Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium最新文献

{"title":"Upgrading of Pyrolytic Char Generated from Waste Tyre Pyrolysis for Solid Tyre Industry","authors":"De Zoysa D.M.D.A., Hewage J.S., Sudusingha Y.C.Y., Ranaweera S.A.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.6606","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.6606","url":null,"abstract":"In Sri Lanka, accumulation of tons of low-quality pyrolytic char (PT-char) in pyrolysis plants is a significant issue in waste tyre management. Finding a solution to upgrade low-quality PT-char is urgent in Sri Lankan context as it initiates a method of finding a solution to the disposal issue of PT-char. As a result, the current study introduces an efficient and cost-effective routine for upgrading low grade PT-char into value-added products which is not being successful before. The upgrading method entails carefully regulating size reduction of the low-grade PT-char (particle size<50 μm) and following optimization of acid-base demineralization parameters. After the size reduction of PT–char, demineralization procedure was introduced using low char: acid/base ratios (1:2), diluted acids and bases (2 M HCl and 2 M NaOH), low temperatures (30 0C-60 0C), and short reaction times (30-60 minutes). Purity and surface characteristics of upgraded char were investigated using XRD, elemental analysis, SEM, and TGA. Based on a CHN analysis, 67% (w/w) of initial carbon content of crude C-PT char was increased up to 91% (w/w) by washing it twice with 2 M HCl and once with 2 M NaOH (2 M H2+2 M S) while reducing ash content from 17.65% (w/w) to 3.59% (w/w). Significance removal of metals such as Zn (1.14% w/w) , Fe (0.34% w/w), Mg (0.25% w/w) and Ca (2.71% w/w) from C-PT char were observed after treating with 2 M H2+2M S (Zn 0.36%w/w , Fe 0.06%w/w, Mg 0.01%w/w and Ca 0.01% w/w). Removal of Zn from C-PT char further confirmed by XRD and surface modification was confirmed by SEM images. Additionally, the rheological and physico-mechanical properties of the upgraded char incorporated solid tyre base compounds were evaluated and compared with commercial grades of carbon black; N 330, and N 660. It was observed that tensile strength, tear strength, hardness and compression properties of purified PT-char incorporated rubber compounds were not significantly different and exhibit resemble properties to the samples prepared using commercial carbon black grades. Overall, it can be confirmed that upgraded PT char has a significant potential to be used as an economical alternative for reinforcement filler in solid tyre industry and upgrading procedure is efficient and economically viable than the conventional methods.  \u0000Keywords: Pyrolytic char, Demineralization, Purification, Modification ","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"27 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of Participatory Concept in Minimizing Food Packaging Waste (FPW) in Manufacturing Firms","authors":"Senevirathne B.S., Jayasinghe M.A.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7205","url":null,"abstract":"All the industrialized countries lately focus on the need for the best solutions for the reduction of food waste at the various stages of the supply chain by conducting the participatory concept. It is a solution and stakeholder-oriented concept providing information on how to analyze the status quo identification of organization-specific problems and with the involvement of relevant stakeholders, develop solutions in the processes along the food value chain. The objective of this study is to present a participatory (five-phase) concept to diminish FPW in manufacturing firms. This concept is adapted to the continuous improvement (PDCA cycle) applied in Total Quality Management (TQM), which involves a participatory approach where workers and stakeholders are collaborated to detect causes for inefficiency and advance measures to counteract FPW in the Healthy Food Drink powder Manufacturing firm. The research was conducted by analyzing the data related to FPW such as Aluminum Wrappers (AlWs), Bag in Boxes (BIBs), and Plastic Bottles (PBs) using Microsoft Excel and Power BI software. Also, it paid attention to related operational and supporting processes within the organization and the behavior of the staff to get an impression of the working atmosphere and attitudes of staff. The analysis was done as a comparison with the collected FPW data for 2 months before and after developing, and implementing upgraded, targeted management practices. This analysis provided the basis for the developmental framework with the focus of increasing the effectiveness of FPW management practices by assessing the structure and selecting the best waste management methodologies for FPW. According to the analyzed data, the total wastage of AlWs, BIBs, and PBs showed 5.81%, 1.82% and 1.96% respectively. With the participatory concept, the organizational weaknesses which caused the occurrence of FPW were identified, and developmental measures were implemented to obtain significant reductions of waste of Alws, BIBs, and PBs up to 2.06%, 0% and 0.43% consequently. Counteractive measures, such as join in workforces into the developing and implementing waste reduction measures, workforce training, scheduled preventive maintenance on machines, utilization of removable ink-to-print date codes, efficient demand planning and accurate demand forecasting, enhance workforce motivation and commitment, establishing trust among all employees and proper communication flows within departments which influencing the occurrence of FPW have been proposed to avoid losses. It affirms that the participatory concept either contributes to reducing FPW or enhancing resource efficiency in the food industry, as this would enable companies to benefit economically.  \u0000Keywords: Food packaging waste, Participatory concept, Continuous improvement, Integration, Resource efficiency ","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"23 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Expired Yoghurt Powder as a Soil Amendment on Growth, Yield and Chlorophyll","authors":"Thushari K.L.N.A., Amarasinghe S.R., Narayana N.M.N.K.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7211","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7211","url":null,"abstract":"The disposal of expired dairy products that are rich in organic carbon and nitrogen is one of the major challenges faced by the dairy industry and causes significant economic, environmental and health issues. Recycling of expired dairy products including yoghurt is an ideal solution to protect the environment and to utilize them in a sustainable manner. Therefore, the present study was carried out to find out the performance of organic soil amendment prepared from expired yoghurt powder (EYP) on growth, yield and chlorophyll content of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.). A pot experiment was set up according to Completely Randomized Design with four treatments {soil without fertilizer (T1), soil with 1% EYP+157 mg K2O/pot (T2), soil with 2% EYP+157 mg K2O/pot (T3), soil with inorganic fertilizer (T4)} with five replicates. In T4 treatment, a mixture of inorganic fertilizers as a basal dressing (before seed sowing) and top dressing (after 3 weeks) was applied at a rate of 177 mg N, 346 mg P2O5 and 157 mg K2O/pot and 177 mg N, 157 mg K2O/pot, respectively according to the Department of Agriculture (DOA) recommendation. The root diameter (cm), root volume (cm3), root length (cm), total leaf area (cm2), number of leaves, shoot fresh weight (g), root fresh weight (g) and chlorophyll content (relative green index) were measured. Data were analyzed using Minitab (version 17) and SAS (version 9.1.3) software packages. One way ANOVA was conducted to examine the differences between treatments followed by mean separation using Duncan‘s multiple range test. Root diameter, root length, root volume, root fresh weight (48.6±0.88 g and 32.30±1.83 g in T4 and T2, respectively) were significantly higher (p<0.05) in inorganic fertilizer (T4) and 1% EYP (T2) treatments than other treatments. The leaf area and chlorophyll content were significantly higher (p<0.05) in all the treatments compared to soil without fertilizer treatment (T1). The highest fresh shoot weight (77.4±9.37 g) was obtained in inorganic fertilizer (T4) treatment showing significant difference (p<0.05) than 2% EYP (T3) and soil without fertilizer (T1) treatments. According to the results, 1% EYP (T2) treatment showed similar growth and yield performance with inorganic fertilizer (T4) and is recommended as a soil amendment for radish. However, the fungal attacks and pest attraction to EYP limit its application as a soil amendment and further studies are suggested to overcome the limitations.  \u0000Keywords: Expired yoghurt powder, Growth and yield parameters, Organic soil amendment, Raphanus sativus L. ","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"1 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Sustainable Form of Land Use under Borassus flabellifer: A Case Study in Jaffna District of Sri Lanka","authors":"Gnanavelrajah N., Sathasivam T., Jeyavanan K., Raveendran S.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7131","url":null,"abstract":"Perennial plantations play a significant role in mitigating climate change and improve the plant diversity. This study was carried out to estimate the carbon sequestration potential of Plamyrah (Borassus flabellifer) land use in twelve different soil series in Jaffna district and to estimate the plant diversity of the same. Samples were collected from sampling quadrates of 10 mx10 m. A total of 75 quadrates were sampled. Numbers of quadrates in each soil series were selected based on the extent of Palmyrah plants and soil series. From each quadrate following data was collected: number of Palmyrah trees and other trees and their height and diameter at breast height. Soil samples were also collected within each quadrate at three depths, up to a depth of 30 cm. For the estimation of biomass carbon stock Palmyrah wood density was determined using 15 wood samples. Biomass carbon was estimated using the standard equations. Soil organic carbon percentage was determined by loss on ignition method. The total carbon stock was determined by the summation of carbon in palm biomass and soil carbon. Plant diversity was estimated in terms of number of species, Shannan Weiver index (SWI) and evenness. Soil organic carbon percentage of Palmyrah land use in different soil series ranged between 1.1-4.5%. Soil organic carbon stock in different soil series ranged 51-190 Mg/ha. There was no significance difference among soil organic carbon percentage of Palmyra land use in different soil series. Top most layer (0-10 cm) had significantly higher amount of soil organic carbon than sub surface layers (10-20 cm, 20-30 cm). Palm density of Plamyrah land uses in different soil series ranged 5-13/100 m2. Biomass carbon stock ranged between 2.83-6.80 Mg/100 m2. Biomass carbon stock in different soil series was significantly differed. Total carbon stock ranged 4.06-7.97 Mg/100 m2. A total of 22 plant species belonging to 13 families were identified in the Palmyrah land uses in the study area. Arecaceae family was vastly distributed in the palmyrah land use while Poaceae and Malvaceae were the poorly distributed ones. The mean value of Shannan Weiver Index (SWI) was 1.2 while evenness was 0.74. This study therefore concludes that the Plamyrah land use in the study area has great potential to sequester carbon in long term, while maintaining a reasonable tree species diversity. \u0000Keywords: Soil carbon, Biomass carbon, Plant diversity, Carbon stock","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"2 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Olax zeylanica Leaf Extract-assisted Eco-Benevolent Synthesis of Sulfur Nanoparticles and the Determination of their Insecticidal Potential against Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)","authors":"Sandeepani G.D.V.A., Perera A.G.W.U., Chinthaka S.D.M.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7169","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 \u0000Stored-product insects are serious pests of dried, stored, durable agricultural goods and value-added foods worldwide. In spite of the commonest way of controlling pestiferous insects associated with cereal grains and their milled products via conventional insecticides, their usage on stored grains are not recommended due to expensiveness, inefficacy due to insect resistance, and potential health hazards to humans. These deleterious consequences thus have been encouraging to merit investigation on the plant extract-assisted eco-benevolent synthesis of nanoparticles, owing to their sustainable, non-noxious, convenient, and environmental friendly nature. In view of this background, the present study was aimed at evaluating the insecticidal effectiveness of green synthesized sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) against Sitophilus oryzae adults. SNPs have been successfully prepared from sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3.5H2O) in the presence of Olax zeylanica leaf extract at room temperature. The resulting SNPs were then characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The toxicity of Sitophilus oryzae was bio-assayed by exposing the test insects to SNPs-treated rice grains at six different dosages at 1.5, 1.0, 0.5, 0.25, 0.125 and 0.0625 g/kg, whereby mortality counts were taken after every 24 hours for seven days. The UV- Vis spectroscopy showed a peak in the range of 260-280 nm, which showed the successful formation of SNPs, while being in accordance with the previous studies reported in the literature. According to the Debye-Scherrer formula of XRD data, the average crystalline size of the SNPs counted to be 72.7 nm. The particle size of SNPs is also confirmed by SEM images. FTIR results showed peak positions corresponding to S8 with slight differences due to the presence of biomolecules from the O. zeylanica leaf extract being bound onto the surface of SNPs. Bioassay results show that the mortality of insects increased with the increase of dosage and exposure time period, reporting 100% S. oryzae mortalities at 1.5 and 1.0 g/kg dosages within 7 days. Accordingly, the results of the present study thus suggest that the bio-transformed sulfur nanoparticles could be utilized not only as biocontrol agents, but also as ecofriendly candidates for the sustained-protection storage grain ecosystems from insect pest infestations. \u0000Keywords: Green-synthesized Sulfur nanoparticles, Olax zeylanica, Insecticidal, Sitophilus oryzae \u0000 \u0000 \u0000","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"River Gem Mining, its Impacts and Mitigation: A Case from Kumbukkan Oya, Monaragala Divisional Secretariat Area","authors":"Premawansha O.G.K.R., Buddhika K.M.W., Priyankara T.L.A., Dissanayaka D.M.P.T.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7188","url":null,"abstract":"Gem mining is one of the oldest industries and a major source of income in Sri Lanka. Both traditional and recent mechanical gem mining methods are currently being practiced. However excessive, uncontrolled and illegal gem mining activities have caused many adverse impacts. This study was carried out to analyze the environmental impacts of river gem mining and to propose suitable remedial and mitigatiory measures, with more emphasis on existing legal framework. Study was conducted along a 15 km stretch of Kumbukkan Oya in Monaragala Divisional Secretariat area, where both legal and illegal gem mining activities are taking place at a high intensity. Data were collected by spatial surveys, field surveys and interviews with mine-owners, government officials and general public. All observed mining sites were within the 60m area on both sides of riverbanks. More than 80.00% of the localities from 36 observed sites were unlicensed mines. Natural vegetation had been removed and banks were collapsed due to uncontrolled mining, destructing riverine and aquatic ecosystems. Deep pits were observed in riverbeds at 12 locations. Removed trees and debris were accumulated at the middle of the river, causing flow direction changes. Washing out of damaged banks and disturbances to the riverbed had increased river turbidity and siltation. High number of unlicensed mines, negligence of miners for license conditions, poor monitoring by relevant authorities, lack of cohesion in gem mining policies and laws and the lack of awareness have triggered these issues. Immediate cancellation of condition-violated mining licenses and initiation of legal actions against illegitimate mining activities are important in preventing unregulated mining activities. Systematic rehabilitation of damaged riverine vegetation and riverbanks shall be conducted. Issuance of mining licenses in compliance with the National Environmental (Prohibition of the use of equipment for exploration, mining and extraction of sand and gem) Regulations No.01 of 2006 in Gazette Extraordinary No.1454/4 dated 17.07.2006, demarcation of the ―Reservation Limit‖ of the river mentioned in the said Gazette Notification and obtaining Environmental Recommendations from Central Environmental Authority prior to issuing the license are important to avoid conflicts between the provisions of National Environmental Act and National Gem and Jewellary Authority Act. Issuance of licenses only subject to an acceptable rehabilitation plan submitted by the mine owners, continuous monitoring by relevant authorities and raising awareness among all the stakeholders shall be implemented. More comprehensive studies can be carried out to find the ability of implementing modern environmentally friendly mining technologies.  \u0000Keywords: River gem mining, Impacts, Mitigation, Kumbukkan Oya","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"18 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of Consumption and Disposal Practices Related to Polythene Shopping Bags","authors":"Karunaratne C.M.W., Gunawardena U.A.D.P.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7025","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 \u0000The widespread use of polythene shopping bags raises significant environmental concerns about adverse effects to marine ecosystems, wild life and impacts resulting from litter all of which require public resources to mitigate or manage. The main objective of this study is to understand the consumer behaviour on polythene bag usage, their awareness on adverse impacts and their willingness to pay for a tax on reducing polythene bag usage. Data were collected from 100 respondents selected from different locations in Sri Lanka conveniently using a structured online questionnaire. In investigating an economic instruments for reducing pollution from polythene bags, payment from the polluter was obtained from two different methods such increasing the price of the polythene bag and imposing a tax on production of polythene shopping bags. In this analysis, it was considered two different dependent variables and the four independent variables. Those dependent variables are willingness to pay for polythene shopping bag and imposing tax on production. Four independent variables were considered for each regression models such as Household income, number of times of usage of polythene shopping bags, environmental impacts and adequacy about government initiatives. The results indicate that among the respondents 86% have all types of polythene waste and 81% separate polythene waste from their collected waste stream, 60% sort polythene waste as clean and unclean before disposal, 61.50% hand over polythene waste to municipal solid waste collectors and 18% of respondents dump the garbage pit in the backyard and 13% of respondents burn it. Most (85%) of respondents don‘t agree that burning polythene is harmful to life and 92% don‘t agree that dumping polythene bags to garbage pits will provide breeding grounds to mosquitos. Majority is using the bags only one or two times but printed /branded bags are being used one to five times. Majority (36%) of respondents suggests a tax of Rs. 5.00 to pay for a polythene shopping bag which can carry 2-3kg per bag and 31 per cent respondents suggested Rs. 2.00. Most of the respondents prefer to switch to a bio-degradable or reusable bag completely if the government put a blanket ban on polythene. The study suggests that educating and making awareness related to the usage and disposal practices related to the polythene shopping bags is very important for the behaviour of the consumer. Introducing an economic instrument related to increasing the price of the polythene shopping bag or imposing a tax at the production or switch to a reusable bag or any other environmentally friendly alternative as a substitute for polythene shopping bags would be a timely action as the majority of the selected sample is ready and willing to embrace these alternatives. \u0000Keywords: Polythene, Shopping bags, Reusable, Consumer behaviour, Price \u0000 \u0000 \u0000","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Phytotoxicity of Potable Water Treatment Plant Sludge-bound Compost Pellets on Seed Germination of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)","authors":"De Silva R.S.D., Amarasinghe S.R., Ranawaka R.A.A.K.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.6615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.6615","url":null,"abstract":"Binding loose compost into pellets needs different binding materials. Maintenance of pellet stability highly depends on the binding materials used. Potable water treatment plant sludge (WTPS) has the potential to be used as a binding material due to the high content of clay, organic matter, and nutrients. However, compost and WTPS may contain heavy metals, toxic compounds, salts, and growth inhibitors. Therefore, the determination of the phytotoxicity of WTPS bound compost pellets is essential before amending them to the soil. The present study aimed to assess the phytotoxicity of different pelleted compost using seed germination bioassay of Raphanus sativus L. Four compost pellets were considered (T1: commercial compost pellet (100% compost), T2: commercial integrated pellet (90% compost+10% inorganic fertilizer), T3: WTPS-bound compost pellet (90% compost+10% WTPS), T4: WTPS-bound integrated pellet (80% compost+10% WTPS+10% inorganic fertilizer)) and pellet aqueous extracts (PAE) were prepared, respectively. Distilled water was used as the control. The dilution sequence of PAE as 50% and 100% were tested for seed germination in Petri dishes in a randomized design with three replicates. pH, EC, and selected heavy metals (Al, Zn, Cu and Cr) were determined in PAE. RSG% (Relative Seed Germination %), RRG% (Relative radicle Growth %), and GI% (Germination Index) were calculated for all the PAE after 72 hours. The PAE had a pH range from 6.8-7.2. The Cr was not detected in all 100% PEA. The highest levels of Al and Zn were detected in 100% PAE of T1. All the treatments in both 50% and 100% PAE showed GI% higher than 80% except the 100% PAE of commercial integrated pellet (T2) and WTPS-bound integrated pellet (T4). The PAE from the T2 and T4 showed low RSG% and RRG% and thereby the GI% is low due to high EC in PAE. The GI% of 100% PAE in T2 and T4 was 32.33% and 67.25%, respectively. The lowest values for RSG% and RRG% were recorded for T2 as 44.44% and 72.75%, respectively. Spearman‘s Rank Correlation coefficients were calculated for EC with RSG%, RRG%, and GI% and all variables showed negative correlations as (-0.44), (-0.97), and (-0.69), respectively. This indicates that high EC reduces radical growth and seed germination. PAE at 100% concentration levels of commercial integrated pellet showed high phytotoxicity, and WTPS-bound integrated pellet showed less phytotoxicity while other treatments did not show any sign of phytotoxicity. All the PAE at 50% concentration level were free from phytotoxicity. Hence, 10% WTPS in w/w basis can be used as a binding agent in pelletizing loose compost. Different WTPS concentrations should be tested in binding process for its optimum utilization.  \u0000Keywords: Bioassay, Compost, Phytotoxicity, Radish, Water treatment plant sludge","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"18 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Environmental Factors in Determining Tourist Destinations","authors":"Karunarathna M.M.S.A.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.6667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.6667","url":null,"abstract":"Tourism is a growing industry in many countries of the world and for many countries it is a potential source of economic growth and employment opportunities. Focusing on Sri Lanka in terms of tourism, tourism is the third largest foreign exchange earner in Sri Lanka. It is important to correctly identify the internal tourist destinations in Sri Lanka, as well as the environmental factors that influence those destinations' decisions, so that development projects can be made. Accordingly, through this study, the environmental factor has been studied in determining the tourist destinations. The three places chosen as the study area of this research are Sinharaja Rainforest in Kalawana Divisional Secretariat Division of Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka, Bopath Ella Waterfall located in Kuruvita Divisional Secretariat Division and Sitawaka Botanical Garden located in Seethawaka Divisional Secretariat Division of Colombo District. The judgment-based method was used to select the three tourist destinations. Also, 120 people were used as a sample for data collection. A simple random sampling method was used. Primary data and secondary data were used for this study. Participant observation, interview method and questionnaire method were used to collect primary data. IBM SPSS-26 version software was used for data analysis and a Binary Logistic model was used to identify how much influence the environmental factor has in determining tourist destinations. Accordingly, it was studied here whether the environmental factor affecting the decision of a tourist destination changes according to variables such as age, gender, marital Status, education level, occupation, income level etc. According to the results of the research, the Chi- square value is 56.435. The P value is statistically significant at the 1% level. That means the P value of the model is 0.000 (P<0.01). That means that the model is statistically significant. That is, according to the independent variables used above, it can be concluded that there is a change in the influence of the environmental factor to determine a tourist destination. In the analysis, the statistical significance of each independent variable was tested by the Wald test, which can identify the effect of each independent variable on the model. Accordingly, it was clear from this research that the variables of profession and education have a significant effect on the environmental factor that affects the decision of a tourist destination.  \u0000Keywords: Education, Environmental factor, Profession, Tourist destinations ","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"32 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139963096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preparation and Characterization of NPK Nutrient Loaded Electrospun Cellulose Acetate Nanofiber Mat to be used as a Slow-release Fertilizer","authors":"Fernando W.A.M.B., Munaweera I., Kottegoda N.","doi":"10.31357/fesympo.v27.7157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v27.7157","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 \u0000 \u0000A major unsolved issue with chemical fertilizers is the low nutrient use efficiency. It has been reported that an excessive amount of up to 70% of the nitrogen applied to plants with traditional fertilizers is lost to the surrounding. Hence, the drastic pollution effects of chemical fertilizer usage. Slow-release fertilizers aim to reduce such losses via slow and sustained release of nutrients to the plant. In this study, we report the successful fabrication and characterization of a novel and biodegradable cellulose acetate (CA) electrospun nanofiber (NF) mat loaded with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium plant nutrients of urea, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) and MOP respectively to be used as a slow-release fertilizer (SRF). It was envisaged that the unique properties of the electrospun NFs could overcome the shortcomings of traditional slow-release fertilizers (SRFs). The fabrication of the NFs was done with 8.5% w/v CA polymer dissolved in a 6 mL solvent system of acetone to dimethylformamide in a 2:1 volume ratio along with the addition of the aforementioned nutrients at 10% of the polymer weight. Electrospinning parameters were set after parameter optimization. The high-voltage supply was set at 16 kV, the spinneret to collector distance was 13cm and the flow rate was 1.5 ml/h. The solutions were electrospun only when the relative humidity was approximately between 65 to 70%. The HANPs incorporated were synthesized by the wet chemical precipitation method. The successful synthesis of the HANPs was confirmed via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis. The successful loading of the nutrients onto the electrospun NF mat was evident from FTIR, Raman and EDX analysis. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy images of the nutrient loaded NFs depicted a reduced average diameter with respect to those of the neat NF mat. The total nitrogen percentage of the nutrient loaded NF mat was determined to be 2.60% from Kjeldahl analysis. The initial nutrient release studies in water depicted a biphasic release model for orthophosphate and potassium nutrients while only a burst release profile was observed for nitrogen. It can be concluded that the electrospun NF mats display a potential application with regards to SRFs. However, several modifications to the NF mat fabrication such as the usage of coaxial electrospinning will have to be made in order to better optimize the nutrient loading and enhance its slow-release properties. \u0000Keywords: Electrospinning, Nanofiber mat, Slow-release, Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles \u0000 \u0000 \u0000","PeriodicalId":205644,"journal":{"name":"Proceedings of International Forestry and Environment Symposium","volume":"28 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139963279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}