Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Autumn 2021

Fixed-bed column has been considered an industrially feasible technique for phosphate removal from water. Besides the adsorption capacity, the effectiveness of an adsorbent is also determined by its reusability efficiency. In this study, phosphate removal by a synthesized amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite in a fixed-bed column system was examined. 

The effects of flow rate, bed height, phosphate concentration, solution pH, and adsorbent particle size on the phosphate adsorption ability were examined through a series of continuous adsorption experiments. The appropriate breakthrough curve models, phosphate adsorption from real anaerobic sludge and synthetic seawater, column regeneration and reusability, and adsorption mechanism were also investigated for practical application feasibility. 

The results showed that the increased bed height and phosphate concentration, and reduced flow rate, pH, and adsorbent particle size were found to increase the column adsorption capacity. The optimum adsorption capacity of 25.15 mg-P/g was obtained at pH 4. The coexistence of seawater ions had a positive effect on the phosphate adsorption capacity of the composite. Nearly complete phosphate desorption, with a desorption efficiency of 91.7%, could be effectively achieved by 0.1 N NaOH for an hour. Moreover, the initial adsorption capacity was maintained at approximately 83% even after eight adsorption-desorption cycles, indicating that the composite is economically feasible. The high phosphate adsorption capacity of the composite involves three main adsorption mechanisms, which are electrostatic attraction, inner-sphere complexation, and anion exchange, where the amorphous zirconium hydr(oxide) on the surface of the layered double hydroxides likely increased the number of active binding sites and surface area for adsorption. 

The amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite, with its high adsorption capacity and superior reusability, has the potential to be utilized as an adsorbent for phosphorus removal in practical wastewater treatment. This study provides insights into the design of amorphous zirconium (hydr)oxide/MgFe layered double hydroxides composite for phosphorus removal and recovery in a practical system.

The requirements of stakeholders for the qualitative transformation of the approaches of industrial enterprises – environmental users to introduction of economic activities cause an increase in the role of environmental responsibility as their strategic priority for development. The purpose of the study is to improve the practical tools for calculating and developing strategies for the development of environmental responsibility of industrial enterprises.

In the study, tools for assessing the level of environmental initiative of an industrial enterprise as an integrated indicator of environmental initiative are suggested. It is expressed as the arithmetic mean of ten factors of environmentally proactive behavior of industrial enterprises. To achieve the objectives of the study, methods of criterion-qualitative assessment are suggested, such as expert assessment and survey. The assessment system includes ten factors rated on a 10-point scale and weighted by significance. The integrated indicator of the environmental initiative acquires values within, is a stimulant of environmental responsibility.

One justified a scientific and methodological approach to assessing the level of environmental responsibility or the industrial enterprise, including calculation of the corresponding taxonomic indicator with consideration of the quantitative factors of its environmental responsibility and the qualitative and quantitative factors of environmental initiative. This enables the possibility to assess the relevant state of environmental responsibility and determine the volumes for further correction of the ecological strategy for the development of the industrial enterprise.

As a conclusion, practical recommendations are made for the implementation of organizational and economic support of environmental responsibility in the development strategy of an industrial enterprise taking into account the impact of its environmental initiative and environmental duty. The level of environmental responsibility of industrial enterprises taken into account when developing recommendations on adjustment of their environmental strategy of development is determined, which as a whole allowed to form organizational and economic support for environmental responsibility of the enterprises under study. Thus, an enterprise, which only ensures compliance with environmental emission standards (compensation strategy or sufficiency strategy) cannot be characterized by a high level of environmental responsibility. To ensure a high level of environmental responsibility, an industrial enterprise must rely on a proactive strategy or a strategy for sustainable use of nature.

Atmospheric zinc corrosion in the Mexico City Metropolitan area has long been attributed mainly to the effect of pollutants such as sulfur dipxide. There are changes in the urban atmosphere's chemical composition due to the implementation of air quality policies focused on reducing the emission of sulfur dipxide and other pollutants. This study's objectives were to estimate and map the contribution of nitric acid on zinc's atmospheric corrosion process

The impact of nitric acid on zinc is feasible to estimate using a function for a multi-pollutant situation. This function contemplates the sum of two contributions: one of nitric acid and another that includes sulfuric acid and climatic parameters. The multi-pollutant function is suitable to apply in areas without the strong influence of chlorides and tropical and subtropical climates, comparable to the Mexico City Metropolitan area.

The results showed that spatial and temporal estimation of corrosion rates in grams per square meter of zinc was made for 2015-2019, using data modeling in a geographic information system. The maps of corrosion rates allowed us to visualize that, in general, the "southwest" zone has the most significant effects and that the lowest corrosion rates were presented in 2019 as an outcome of the implementation of air quality programs. Furthermore, a contribution of nitric acid up to 32% to the zinc corrosion rate was estimated.

The construction of corrosion rate maps provides a spatial and temporal estimate that allows visualizing areas where zinc materials are at risk corrosion due to the dispersion of atmospheric pollutants and climatic parameters. Likewise, it can represent a decision-making tool for the implementation of atmospheric corrosion studies of materials.

El Niño - Southern Oscillation is known to affect the marine and terrestrial environment in Southeast Asia, Australia, northern South America, and southern Africa. There has been much research showing that the effects of El Niño - Southern Oscillation are extensive. In this study, a simulation of an El Niño event is carried out, which is ideal in the vertical layer of the Pacific Ocean (0-250 meters). The fast Fourier transform is used to process the vertical modeling data so that the results can accurately represent El Niño.

A non-hydrostatic 3-dimensional numerical model is used in this research. To separate the signal produced and obtain the quantitative difference of each sea layer, the simulation results are analyzed using the fast Fourier transform. Winds blow from the west to the east of the area in perfect El Niño weather, with a reasonably high wind zone near the equator (forming a cosine). Open fields can be found on the north and south sides, while closed fields can be found on the west and east sides. Density is uniform up to a depth of 100 meters, then uniformly increases by 1 kilogram per cubic meter from 100 to 250 meters. 

The results of the model simulation show that one month later (on the 37th day), the current from the west has approached the domain's east side, forming a complete coastal Kelvin wave. The shape of coastal Kelvin waves in the eastern area follows a trend that is similar to the OSCAR Sea Surface Velocity plot data obtained from ERDDAP in the Pacific Ocean in October 2015. In this period, the density at a depth of 0-100 meters is the same, while the density at the depth layer underneath is different. 

Strong winds could mix water masses up to a depth of 100 meters, implying that during an ideal El Niño, the stratification of the water column is influenced by strong winds. The eastern domain has the highest sea level amplitude, resulting in perfect mixing up to a depth of 100 m, while wind effect is negligible in the lower layers. The first layer (0-50 m) and the second layer (50-100 m) have the same density and occur along the equator, according to FFT. The density is different and much greater in the third layer (100-150 m).

Aiming to increase crop yield the antimicrobial/bacterial or fungicidal pre-sowing seed treatment received more attention in modern agronomy. Ultraviolet-C irradiation of pre-sowing seeds is an environmentally friendly method that became of great importance in recent years. It is, hereafter, being shown that, along with known antimicrobial use, there is additional important advantage of Ultraviolet-C irradiation of pre-sowing seeds. It was revealed that Ultraviolet-C radiation on Vetch Hairy seeds stimulates seeds germination and vigour.

Various doses of Ultraviolet-Cirradiation of seeds were used. The main sowing qualities of seeds were determined: seed vigour and germination, as well as the content of photosynthetic pigments in plant leaves and the main parameters of the kinetic values of hydration – moisture and hydration rate.

It was found that ultraviolet-C radiation has a positive effect on sowing qualities and content of photosynthetic pigments in plant leaves of Vetch vary. The most effective dose of ultraviolet irradiation applied to vetch hairy seeds; vicia villosa was 1000 J/m2. At this dose the seed vigour increases by 23.6%, germination by 15.1%, the mass of germinated seeds by 17.3%, the content of a- and b-chlorophyll by 12.4%, and 17.5%, respectively, the carotenoid content increased by 13.9%. The parameters of seeds hydration kinetics such as moisture content and hydration rate were determined. It was revealed that the hydration rate of seeds increased significantly in the first 100-minute time range. Later in time the hydration rate progressively decreased, achieving a saturated moisture content after 700 minutes. Additionally, it was found that Ultraviolet-C irradiation decreases the imbibition damage.

The results indicated that ultraviolet-C irradiation has a positive effect on sowing qualities of Vetch Hairy seeds, thus, could be proposed as a promising candidate for application in treatment pre-sowing agriculture seeds.

Open-pit mining is an important activity to obtain mineral resources that supply society with raw materials to improve people's quality of life. However, this extractive activity causes negative environmental impacts and, it is therefore necessary to identify and evaluate these impacts in order to design preventive and control measures to reduce them and thus safeguard the environment and natural resources. In the Region of Murcia, in Spain, as well as other Mediterranean areas with similar climatic conditions, there is a great deal of mining activity linked to the building sector, in which mainly ornamental rock (marble and marble limestone) and limestone aggregates are used. All of this has given rise to numerous active and abandoned mines, where no restoration process has been carried out, generating strong impacts on the environment.

In this study, 8 environmental impact assessments studies of ornamental rock and aggregate quarries in the Region of Murcia were analysed to identify the negative impacts on the abiotic and biotic environment, landscape, socio-economic and socio-cultural environment, and infrastructures and analysing preventive and control measures.

According to the environmental impact assessment studies analysed, the importance of the most significant environmental impacts has been calculated, indicating whether the impacts are critical, severe, moderate or compatible, and based on it, preventive and corrective measures are proposed together in an impact mitigation management system based in flow charts that will serve to more easily apply and control these measures, in order to prevent them from causing significant or irreversible damage to the environment. Analysing these measures, it has been observed that 90% of the measures applied to control the different negative environmental factors in this type of quarry are the same.

Open-pit mining extraction systems have a series of similar characteristics that allow a systematic approach to be established when analysing the impacts. With the use of flowcharts, it becomes easier to apply measures to reduce environmental impacts and in addition, these diagrams, allow at the same time the easy incorporation of updates due to changing regulations.

This paper focuses on the development of Czech laws of water resource protection. The presented research examines the statistical data of the number and type of legislative acts concerning to water protection issued in the Czech Republic during the period 1990-2019. Several types of legislative acts are followed in administrative law and statistically compared by the development in time and its type. The survey focuses on general water protection acts, water sewage management, agriculture sector, hygiene standards, and the protection of the basins of Czech rivers (e.g., blue water and gray water).

The analysis firstly concerns to the development of the number of legislative acts during 1990-2019 and secondly discusses a diversification of the legislative acts types (laws, decrees, resolutions, regulations, and strategic plans). A total of 12,272 legislative acts is analyzed during three phases of Czech modern history: 1990-1992 (Czechoslovakia), 1993-2003 (Czech Republic before its accession to the European Union), and 2004-2019 (Czech Republic in the European Union).

Statistical elaboration of legislative acts proves that it is possible to determine different types of water management over time. Protection of water resource management in the Czech Republic was forming from crisis management (1990-1992), via operational management (1993-2003) to strategic management (2004-2019). Current trends after 2020 show a new trend towards integral management.

Findings provide better understanding of changeable importance of water protection and management attitudes in the Czech Republic in reaction to the development of society. 

Encouraging resident participation in the Municipal Solid Waste Management system still becomes a challenge for cities in developing countries. Previous studies showed that existing education strategies ineffective and insufficient to change resident behavior sustainably. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a resident-based learning model to encourage sustainable resident participation in waste management programs at the household level using the Community of Practice approach. 

This study was a conceptual model study using a case study as the research strategy. The case being analyzed was Kawasan Bebas Sampah (Zero Waste Area) program implemented in Bandung City, Indonesia. The primary data was collected through field observation on the 8 Kawasan bebas sampah and in-depth interviews with 63 key informants comprising 31 key actors in the educational programs and 32 informants as resident representatives, conducted from January 2020 – November 2020. Additional data from the quantitative method was gathered in April 2021, focusing on surveying resident’s habits toward waste management as evidence of the program result. The respondents were 490 residents, chosen using the purposive-random sampling method.   

The findings showed that the education strategy implemented in Bandung City, Indonesia presented effective results, based on waste reduction rate reaching up to 0, 47% at the city level from 2019 to 2020. The survey provided evidence that the education program has succeeded in forming new habits for residents. Averagely 60% of respondents in each sample area have the habits and up to > 90% for the areas with more durable education program. Some critical points for education strategy implementations are identified. First, collaboration and supports from key stakeholders such as facilitators, local leaders, and educators become the enabler of the program. Second, key stakeholders need to identify knowledge and value needs before the program started. Third, the learning activities are conditioned to facilitate practice-based and dialogue-based learning through group and non-group learning activities. Fourth, local cadres are vital to sustaining the education program. 

This study has succeeded in giving a new strategic approach to improve resident participation in municipal solid waste management. The resident-based learning model proposed in this study offered a more effective strategy for other cities in developing countries to improve the sustainable participation of residents in their waste management system. However, some adjustments may be required for residents with different characteristics. Future studies may focus on testing and refining the model to improve its applicability.

The needs of fuel pellets from varied feed stocks have opened up opportunities and challenges for pellets production from non-woody biomass. Wastes of plastic recycling and wood sawing contained a high potential for energy source and suited for pelletizing as a solid fuel. 

The characteristics and combustion kinetics of fuel pellets made using a mixture of waste of polyethylene terephthalate and biomass (Tectona grandis Linn.f) with a polyethylene terephthalate to biomass ratio of 9:1. The investigation covered physico-chemical properties and their functional group analysis, heavy metal concentration and ionic leachability testing, and ash analysis. In this context, thermogravimetric analysis was used in an atmosphere of oxygen gas, over a temperature range of 50-800 °C and at different heating rates. The work ends with discussion of the kinetics study via three comparative evaluations and the feasibility of fuel pellets for energy utilization. 

Pelletizing with this ratio (9:1) was present the durability of PET/biomass pellets, a uniform dimension, ease handling, storage, and transportation common as woody pellets. Some technical challenges such as low moisture content and high volatile matter content were feedstock dependent. The major characteristics were a combination of those from both the constituent materials. Functional groups of the pellets were contributed by terephthalate and lignocellulose. The addition of a small amount of biomass in pellets could improve their thermal decomposition behavior. The properties of the polyethylene terephthalate/biomass pellets indicated that were fit for combustion with a high heating value equal to 19.20 MJ/kg. Heavy metals and ionic contaminants were below the maximum limits of the standards because of the cleanliness of the raw materials. However, the minor effects of earth materials and a caustic soda detergent were resulted in the alteration of residue chemicals. The pellets had lower ignition, devolatilization, and burnout temperatures than the original polyethylene terephthalate waste; likewise, the peak and burnout temperatures shifted to a lower zone. The activation energy values obtained using the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Ozawa-Flynn-Wall, and Starink models were similar and in the range 142–146 kJ/mol. 

These findings may provide crucial information on fuel pellets from blended polyethylene terephthalate/biomass to assist the design and operation of a co-combustion system with traditional solid fuels. Such modifications of fuel pellets suggest the possibility of operating in large-scale furnace applications and can further be upgraded to other fuels production via modern bioenergy conversion processes.

The entire world is reeling under the worst pandemic of last 100 years. Over 128 million people have been infected with it and 2.8 million deaths have already taken place, till 30th March 2021. The identification of materials positive cases is the first step towards its containment and treatment. However, testing of individuals is an extensive, expensive and time-consuming exercise. In addition, societal taboos are also associated with infected individuals resulting in very few people volunteering for testing, esp. in the developing and under-developed world. An alternative approach that circumvents individual testing is the wastewater-based epidemiology. A state-of-the-art review of this method is provided in context of its utility for COVID-19 detection. This technique relies on collecting and testing samples from sewers and/or wastewater treatment plants for the presence of pathogens and then using that data to determine and predict the spread of the infection, thereby allowing the provision of appropriate containment and treatment steps. The study covers key aspects of wastewater-based epidemiology application for COVID-19 detection including its need, detailed process of detection and assessment, data analysis, economics and challenges to its application. Findings from a number of case studies are presented to elucidate the utility of this technique. It is clearly seen that WBE-based approach is a much better strategy as compared to individual testing and can be adopted to prevent further spread of Covid-19. The work is expected to further emphasize the application of this method for COVID (and other pandemic) detection and implementing containment strategies. This is clearly a much more economical and non-intrusive approach as compared to the individual testing.