Applied Environmental Research最新文献

{"title":"Impact of COVID-19 Nationwide Lockdowns and Unlock Phases in India on River Water Quality of Upper Part of the Ganga River","authors":"Dhara Kakwani, Abha Kumari, Kumar Suranjit Prasad, B. Prasad","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023007","url":null,"abstract":"The river water quality index (RWQI) of the upper Ganga canal has been computed to assess the effect of lockdown and unlock phases lead down by COVID-19 in India. Geospatial distribution of RWQI from January 2019 to December 2021 in the study area revealed significant impacts of lockdown on water quality. However, unlock phases (post lockdown) have deteriorated water quality since August 2020 and reached to actual conditions of the river by August 2021. To evaluate the lockdown as a management strategy to clean the river, other factors were reviewed including rainfall data, migration, and other activities. The results revealed that all the monitoring stations have improved water quality index ranging from 3 to 45 between March to June 2020. The River Ganga at Haridwar showed a two-fold improvement in the water quality index making it the highest positive impact of the lockdown, and at Rishikesh, the water quality index showed the least changes. The average decrease in RWQI has been observed to be 13 units in the year 2020 as compared to 2019 between March to June. In October 2020, RWQI has been observed to be higher as compared to the years 2019 and 2021. This is possibly due to a shift in rainfall patterns and other factors such as evapotranspiration, precipitation, and atmospheric temperature involved in river water quality control. Up to 60% reduction in average total coliforms and fecal coliforms has been observed due to the nationwide lockdown and a shift in human behavior towards cleaner and sustainable approaches.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"132 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80275280","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":"Utilizing Wasteaware Benchmark Indicators to Improve Municipal Solid Waste Management in Northern Thailand","authors":"Sujitra Vassanadumrongdee, Ridthipat Kallayanapattharasit, Arisara Lekkham, Pattayaporn Unroj","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023006","url":null,"abstract":"Primarily responsible for waste collection and disposal, local governments in northern Thailand face significant obstacles in managing waste. Mixing infectious, hazardous and general waste, over-utilizing incinerators and implementing environmentally improper disposal methods all contribute to burgeoning volumes of waste with adverse environmental and health impacts. The objectives of this study are to use the Wasteaware benchmark indicators (WABIs) to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of the waste management of Wiengthoeng Sub-district Municipality (WSM), to identify advantages and disadvantages of its system and offer fact-based recommendations for improvement. Pertinent data was obtained through interviews of governmental authorities, community members and private sector employees between October, 2020 and May, 2021 using designed questionnaires and through review of official governmental records. It was found that with the help of village leaders, increased public participation in MSWM and working with local governments resulted in more widespread involvement in the 3Rs practices. Economic measures facilitated the objectives. Assessing ‘pay-as-you-throw’ fees resulted in a focus on lowering household costs through waste separation and reduction. The financial benefits of the program were not significant, but the source waste required for final disposal was reduced. The findings suggest that to increase the sustainability of municipal solid waste management, source reduction and segregation should be promoted to minimize the volume of refuse sent to landfills. Source reduction and collaboration between residents and village leaders can provide more long-term benefits than positive short-term economic impacts. Moreover, to improve the sustainability of its physical assets, WSM must better address the environmental impact of waste treatment and disposal.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"79 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73187639","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":"Optimization of Vanillin Production from Lignin Using Catalytic Depolymerization over a CuO/Al2O3Catalyst","authors":"Sirawit Sangnak, Arthit Neramittagapong, Sutasinee Neramittagapong, S. Theerakulpisut, Pongsert Sriprom","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023005","url":null,"abstract":"The optimal conditions for vanillin production from lignin depolymerization using CuO/Al2O3 catalysts were determined by combining Box-Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). Independent variables, including temperature (80–140 °C), NaOH loading (0.5–1.5 g), time (30–90 min), and catalyst weight (0.5–1.5 g), were investigated to determine the optimal conditions, with the concentration of vanillin being the dependent variable. A CuO/Al2O3 catalyst was prepared by impregnation method. The vanillin obtained from the reaction was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The maximum obtained vanillin concentration of 59.14 mg·L-1 was achieved with a temperature of 80 °C, a reaction time of 90 min, NaOH loading of 1.5 g, and 1.5 g of catalyst. The amount of NaOH was the most influential factor governing the obtained vanillin concentration. Regression analysis was performed to determine the formula describing the vanillin concentration in terms of the independent variables with a reasonable degree of accuracy (R2 = 0.87). This study shows that the optimal conditions for the depolymerization of lignin to vanillin over a CuO/Al2O3 catalyst can be achieved under milder conditions than those reported previously.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82157298","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":"Life Cycle Assessment of Plastic Resin: A Case Study of the Petrochemical Industry in Thailand for the Production of HDPE Resin","authors":"Natthapong Wichaiutcha, Abhishek Dutta, O. Chavalparit","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023004","url":null,"abstract":"Life cycle sustainability is an important tool for assessing product performance based on the three pillars of environment, economy and society. This study examined the life cycle impact, cost and social implications of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) resin. Environmental assessment revealed nonrenewable energy as the greatest impact followed by carcinogens, respiratory inorganics and global warming while economically, the operational cost of HDPE resin production was significantly highest. The social impact assessment following the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP)/ Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) guidelines demonstrated optimal performance for all indicators except for gender ratio and disabled employee criteria which were lower human rights indicators than other companies. The subcategory of occupational health and safety should be specified in future aspects, such as rate of disease from company operation. Energy efficiency and material acquisition should be improved to reduce the environmental impact and positively redress declining costs, leading to decrease in disease rate among workers in the local community. Results suggested that improving environmental impact would increase economic performance through optimal energy efficiency, while the social life cycle assessment indicator should mainly focus on health and safety in the event of disease arising from business operations.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81152408","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 Framework for Assessing Environmental Incidents in Coastal Areas: A Case Study in the Southeastern Coastal Area of Vietnam","authors":"Cuong Le Tan, P. van, Quan Nguyen Hong, Loan Tran Thi Diem, Minh Tran Thanh","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023002","url":null,"abstract":"As developing dynamic regions, coastal areas have a high potential for environmental incidents, especially chemical spills, which may permanently threaten livelihoods and coastal ecosystems. Establishing an appropriate methodological framework for assessing environmental incidents in coastal areas, ensuring increased predictability and minimising potential consequences is a trend of interest to scientists. In this study, the environmental risk assessment model was applied to develop a framework for assessing environmental incidents in coastal areas due to chemical spills from the mainland based on hazard, exposure and vulnerability factors (i.e., sensitivity and adaptability). Using the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) method approach, suitable criteria, their optimal weights and the risk factors were determined. Modelling, remote sensing, and geographic information system (GIS) methods were used simultaneously for data collection, evaluation, and mapping. A case study was conducted in the coastal area of southeastern Vietnam, which comprises 27 subregions. These were classified into four environmental incident levels: low, medium, high, and extreme. Their prevalence was 70.37%, 3.70%, 7.41%, and 18.52% in the rainy season, and 74.07%, 7.41%, 7.41%, and 11.11% in the dry season, respectively. Based on analysis results and consultation with managers and experts, pertinent and practical solutions were proposed to reduce the risk of environmental incidents in subregions with high and extreme incident levels. Our results are expected to support policymakers in decision-making related to the sustainable development of the study area and complete the methodology framework for assessing environmental incidents in coastal areas due to multiple hazards.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85559279","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":"An Urban Tree (Tabebuia argentea) Exhibits Higher Sensitivity to Environmental Conditions than an Urban Palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii) Growing in the Same Roof Garden: An Implication for Sustainable Urban Water Use","authors":"Ratchanon Ampornpitak, Prangwilai Khobpee, Weerapong Unawong, N. Leksungnoen, P. Tor-ngern","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023003","url":null,"abstract":"Roof gardening is popular for increasing green space in cities due to the restricted urban areas. However, when watering plants on a roof garden, one should consider loading capacity of the roof, which may limit water supply to the plants therein. To improve the efficiency in irrigating trees in a roof garden, we evaluated plant water status, represented by midday leaf water potential (ΨL), and leaf gas exchange parameters including stomatal conductance (gs) and net photosynthesis (An) of a tree (Tabebuia argentea, Ta) and a palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii, Pm) species, which dominate the garden. The ΨL mediated responses of gs and An, regulating plant water use and growth, to soil moisture. Results showed that ΨL of Ta significantly varied with changes in soil moisture, being low at low and high soil moisture. Nevertheless, gs of Ta linearly decreased when ΨL increased, suggesting a stronger response of gs to atmospheric demand. In contrast, no significant responses among the study variables were observed in Pm. For both species, An initially increased with gs and saturated after gs reached 200 mmol m-2 s-1, indicating similar stomatal regulation on atmospheric carbon dioxide absorption. The limited space for root growth and the location with surrounded building walls contributed to unconventional response patterns observed in Ta. Nonetheless, our results suggested that Ta was more sensitive to changing environments, especially the atmospheric demand, than Pm. Additionally, Ta should be irrigated during daytime and when atmospheric vapor pressure deficit is less than 2.6 kPa to allow high photosynthesis and evaporative cooling while Pm may be watered less frequently to reduce the roof’s loading and save water. This initial investigation implied that maintaining urban trees using appropriate irrigation that is specific to tree species is the key to maximize benefits from urban trees and optimize urban water use.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79243862","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 Microplastics in the Surface Water of Sitio Pulo, Navotas, Metro Manila","authors":"Mark Lester C. Galicia, Carl Luis P. Flestado, Jeff Ryan S. Magalong, Ronald Benz L. Rivera, Kim M. Villacorte, W. Sarmiento, C. Deocaris","doi":"10.35762/aer.2023001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2023001","url":null,"abstract":"Microplastics are synthetic polymer particles with a length of 5 mm or less with no well-defined lower boundary. These debris particles are known to affect marine and aquatic organisms which poses a threat to biodiversity and marine resources. In this study, the isolated microplastic from the coastal and lagoon surface waters of Sitio Pulo is described. Sitio Pulo is a barrier island mangrove sanctuary located at Brgy. Tanza I, Navotas City surrounded by Manila Bay. The samples collected last July 4 and 25, 2019, were isolated, profiled, and analyzed. A total of four hundred forty-nine (449) microplastic fragments were isolated from the surface water samples with a median length of 1.096 (IQR 0.809–1.578) mm. The isolated microplastics exhibit roundness, whiteness, and yellowing indicating signs of mechanical, chemical and photodegradation. It is also noted the putative effects of the weather disturbances in accelerating the discharge of nascent microplastics in Manila Bay. The isolated microplastic composition includes the commodity polymers polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The presence of microplastics in the surface waters of Sitio Pulo reflects the worsening plastic pollution problem in Metro Manila.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"239 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80430948","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":"Soil Contamination and Risk Assessments on Selected Dumpsites within the Basement Complex and Sedimentary Formations of Ogun State, South-western Nigeria","authors":"Akintayo O. Ojo, Oluwaseun T. Olurin, Oluseyi O. Adeleke","doi":"10.35762/aer.2022.44.4.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2022.44.4.2","url":null,"abstract":"The concentrations of inorganic elements in soils of Saje, Ita-Oshin, Premier, and Oke-Diya dumpsites were determined using an X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer to assess the soil quality through chronological changes with depths. A soil core sampler collects 56 samples at 20, 40, 60, and 80 cm depths. Saje showed high mean concentrations of Ca, K, Fe, Rb, and Ti at all depths, while Oke-Diya revealed high mean concentrations of Ca, K, Fe, Rb, Ti, Mn, Zn, V, Cr, and Ni at all depths. These concentrations were in a closed range suggesting a build-up of elements in the soil profiles. Oke-Diya had the highest pollution index, followed by Saje, and the contaminations were from anthropogenic and geologic sources. The mean concentrations of Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn, Ti, K, and Ca were high at all depths in Ita-Oshin, and in Premier, the mean concentrations of K and Fe were high at all depths. Premier had the lowest pollution index. Ita-Oshin and Premier enrichment factors showed geologic sources. Saje and Oke-Diya revealed unacceptable non-carcinogenic risks for adults and children, and Ita-Oshin and Premier recorded acceptable limits. Saje and Oke-Diya samples had high carcinogenic risks for adults due to Cr, Pb, and As. Elements Cr and As in Ita-Oshin, and Pb in Premier evinced unacceptable carcinogenic risks for adults. Saje, Oke-Diya, and Premier indicated unacceptable carcinogenic risks for children due to Cr. The study showed toxins build-up in the soil system, and the study areas are not suitable for growing crops and sinking water wells for agricultural and domestic uses.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82164353","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":"Advances in Chemotactic and Non-chemotactic Bioremediation of Water: A Comprehensive Review","authors":"Sheetal Pardeshi, P. Shede","doi":"10.35762/aer.2022.44.4.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2022.44.4.1","url":null,"abstract":"Pollution has reached to a critical threshold affecting the climate and diversity of the planet Earth. All global authorities have included pollution control in their agenda for near future. Most of the environmental research nowadays is focused on removing waste generated by anthropogenic activities, may it be solid, liquid or gaseous waste. Bioremediation is believed to be the most eco-friendly approach for reducing or removing pollutants contaminating different matrices of the environment. There are various methods covered under the umbrella term of bioremediation. Chemotaxis-mediated bioremediation attracted attention of several research groups since early decade of twenty first century due to improved efficiency achieved by this strategy. There is very limited literature available on comparative account of non-chemotactic and chemotactic bioremediation. In this review, authors have extensively discussed about research developments in non-chemotactic and chemotaxis mediated bioremediation comparing the efficiency and scale of the processes.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85941720","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":"Magnetization of a Biochar Derived from Orange Peel and Its Application for the Removal of Crystal Violet","authors":"İssam Boudraà, Sevde Ustun Odabasi, Maryam Bareera, Hassan Ayadi, B. Kebabi, H. Buyukgungor","doi":"10.35762/aer.2022.44.3.7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35762/aer.2022.44.3.7","url":null,"abstract":"In this work, biochar synthesized from orange peel modified with magnetite was used as an alternative magnetic adsorbent for dye removal. The magnetization of the synthesized biochar was done using the co-precipitation method. The obtained composite was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The efficiency of magnetized biochar (OPB/Fe3O4) was studied in the process of removing crystal violet (CV) from an aqueous solution at different temperatures. The experimental data obtained for the kinetic studies were better fitted to the pseudo-second-order model, and the isotherms data were well fitted to the Langmuir model. The results showed that the adsorption capacity increases with increasing temperature, reaching 113 mg g-1 at 50 °C. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG0, ΔH0, ΔS0) were also calculated; their values showed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic. These results inspire us to use other similar materials to solve the problem of water and environmental pollution.","PeriodicalId":36747,"journal":{"name":"Applied Environmental Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75964555","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}