Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Volume:8 Issue: 4, Autumn 2022

Phosphorus is an essential and limiting nutrient for all living organisms. Although phosphorus is a finite resource on earth, it is usually wasted today. Precipitation of struvite from waste residues is mainly carried out to recover phosphorus. This study aimed to investigate the percentage of phosphorous recovery from sewage sludge in the presence of grape-biochar via the formation of biochar/struvite precipitates. 

Different amounts of grape-biochar were applied to recover nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and magnesium) from sewage sludge via the formation of struvite by digestion of sewage sludge with H2SO4 and the molar ratio of magnesium/ ammonium/ phosphorus in 2:1:1 at pH=8.5. Solubility and release properties of the precipitates were determined and the equations, such as first-order, parabolic diffusion, power function, and simple Elovich models, were fitted to the kinetic data.

The phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge increased by application of grape biochar in the precipitation system, and the accumulation release of nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and magnesium) from samples increased in the presence of grape biochar, especially in high amounts. Increasing the remove and recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge by application of grape-biochar decreased the incidence of eutrophication, as an environmental dilemma, and provided the requirement for phosphorus-fertilizers by solid waste management. The solubility of the samples was 0.5 mole per liter hydrochloric acid > in 20 gram per liter citric acid > water. The results showed that the phosphorus - cumulative - release of composites in water good fitted the parabolic kinetic model (R2=0.97-0.99), whereas it followed the simple Elovich model (R2=0.86-0.92) in 0.5 mole per liter hydrochloric acid and first-order kinetics model (R2=0.76-0.92) in 20 gram per liter critic acid.

The results indicated that the presence of grape-biochar for recovery of phosphorus from sludge as struvite had a good potential for increasing the release of nutrients for the formation of struvite, and these precipitates had a high potential to be used as a slow-release phosphorus-fertilizer.

One of the negative impacts of polluting activities on aquatic ecosystems is the loss of its natural self-purification ability, for this reason, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the Sinú river capacity to assimilate wastewater discharges.

Monitoring of several water quality parameters was carried out in the river at different seasons and a numerical method was used to simulate different scenarios through the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code model. The model calibration process was tested applying the Root Mean Square Error and after calibrating the model, scenarios of increase and decrease of discharge concentrations and flows, and river flows were simulated. Finally, the results were compared to water quality reference limits.

Results show that the model accurately represented the real conditions of the studied river section for all the evaluated parameters. Also, assimilative capacity was affected mostly by the scenario in which the river flow was decreased by 50%, and the flows and discharges concentrations were increased five times; causing parameters such as ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, phosphates, and total nitrogen, to exceed the established reference limits with maximum concentrations of 2.7 mg/L, 30.9mg/L, 0.98 mg/L and 6.3 mg/L; respectively. Higher concentrations of water quality parameters were mostly found in the dry season since lower velocities and river flows promote less pollutants mixing and dilution processes.

The model spatiotemporal simulations showed the effect of the wastewater discharges on the Sinú River assimilative capacity and made it possible to find those scenarios where water quality parameters exceeded the reference limits, becoming an essential tool for water management and the development of strong water quality objectives by stakeholders and environmental authorities.

Water resources carrying capacity is dynamic and can be influenced by catastrophic volcanic eruptions. The eruption of Mount Merapi in 2010 changed the landscape and community livelihoods due to the redistribution of a large volume of volcanic materials. This study aims to analyze water resources carrying capacity before and after the major 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi. The value of water resources carrying capacity is derived from that of water availability and the domestic water needs per capita per year. The model uses a grid of 100 x 100 meter cells to determine the spatial distribution of water resources carrying capacity in Krasak watershed, and this analysis considers the years 2008, before the eruption, and 2021, after the eruption. The population distribution data have been previously mapped by referring to statistical data and land use at the village level, while water availability is calculated considering rainfall, potential evaporation rate, and runoff. Water resources carrying capacity in Krasak watershed has undergone changes related to the distribution of volcanic material and human activities. The water resources carrying capacity for both periods experienced a surplus, although there has been an average decrease of 331.50 cubic meters per year for each grid cell. Water resources carrying capacity analysis shows a decline, especially in the midstream and downstream. Based on T-Test, there are significant changes in the water resources carrying capacity at 2008 and 2021 (p-value 0.047 and 95% confidence level). Water resources carrying capacity increased only in some locations that occurred ecosystem succession after the eruption, although areas near the peak are decreased by sand and stone mining. The spatial-gridded model proved capable of analyzing this phenomenon.

Global energy needs have gradually shifted toward photovoltaic solar energy, especially in the Gulf region because of the high solar-irradiance potential. However, one of the main challenges for this technology in the region is soiling, which has been reported to degrade the power output of photovoltaic modules significantly. Anti-soiling coatings are promising technologies to minimize the effect of dust on photovoltaic solar panels. Accordingly, this study aimed to synthesize aluminum, zinc, titanium, and tin oxides using mixed-based and nanoparticle-based precursors through inkjet printing techniques and investigate their potential in anti-soiling applications for PV panels. Four metal oxides, namely, aluminum, zinc, titanium, and tin oxides, were synthesized and deposited using the inkjet printing technique for anti-soiling application. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements were performed to characterize these thin films. The optical transmittance of the substrate using the nanoparticle ink revealed better optical properties than that using the mixed-based ink. Compared with nanoparticle samples, a homogeneous crack and a defect-free layer were observed with dense nanoparticles in all mixed inks (except for aluminum oxide ink). The contact angles indicated that the synthesized films were super-hydrophilic/hydrophilic coatings. The results of the outdoor testing revealed that up to 60% less dust was deposited on the best-performing film (aluminum oxide mixed-based ink) compared with bare glass.  The outdoor experiment revealed that mixed-based thin films were better in reducing dust deposition than nanoparticle-based thin films and bare glass. This enhancement might be due to the decreased antireflection property along with a morphological contribution related to the presence of nanoparticle voids, which reduce the spectra scattering and minimize its deterioration, thus demonstrating better anti-soiling properties. The results of the outdoor test revealed that aluminum, zinc, and titanium oxides are promising materials for anti-soiling coating applications for both ink types. However, tin oxide coatings are not recommended for anti-soiling applications, as they showed the highest dust deposition rate near the bare glass performance.

The Misool Islands are lined up regularly from west to east, the southern part of Raja Ampat Archipelago, Papua - Indonesia. The geomorphology is distinctive, and the coral reef substrate causes turbulence. Misool waters are located in the Papuan bird's head seascape, passed by Pacific water masses. The assessment status of Misool waters as a conservation area does not include hydrodynamic aspects in the decision processes. The present study is fundamental for determining and changing essential areas for conservation. The main objective of this study is to the pattern of hydrodynamic processes and investigate the features of the water mass in the Misool waters. An acoustic doppler current profiler was deployed to measure currents every 15 minutes for ten water column layers. Investigation of waters characteristics was using Conductivity-Temperature-Depth equipment. A three-dimensional computational model was performed using MIKE3. The water mass around the Misool Islands are more influenced by the local oceanographic processes than the water masses from the Pacific Ocean. The study site is characterized by the mixed tide, prevalence to semi-diurnal based on observational tidal data. Wind and baroclinic properties generate non-significant currents, resulting in low horizontal and vertical stratification. Intensification of tidal currents occurs along the shallow part in northeastern and part of the channel between Misool Islands and the mainland of Papua. The interaction of barotropic tides, geomorphology, and coral reef triggers the unstratified water mass. Strong currents and turbulence on the northeast side produce homogeneous waters. The water mass in Misool waters is originated from the local dynamic.

Boron is a micronutrient of high importance, both for plant development and normal growth. The range between boron deficiency and toxicity is very narrow, which makes boron unique among the essential micronutrients. Boron adsorption is one of the most important factors determining the release and fixation of this micronutrient, though its adsorption has not been widely studied in semiarid Tunisian soils. This study aims to improve knowledge of B adsorption process in calcareous salt-affected soils in semiarid areas. It equally focuses on the type of cation (monovalent and divalent) in function of the soil texture and time of shaking. These three latter factors influence boron adsorption, which also influence the availability for plants. A study was carried out on boron adsorption at different shaking time intervals (1, 3, 6 and 9 hours) in two soils of different textures in the absence and  presence of different background electrolytes solutions (0.02 N CaCl2, 0.02 N MgCl2 , 0.02 N sodium chloride and 0.02 N potassium chloride. The soil-A (clay loam) adsorbed more boron than soil-B (sandy loam). Boron adsorption was the highest in Soil-A under the presence of potassium chloride, close to the mean values given when using calcium chloride. In Soil-B, it was found with calcium chloride background electrolyte. Minor boron adsorption was observed in both soils when boric acid solution was used without background electrolytes. Adsorbed boron showed significant differences with the shaking time in all treatments used with background electrolytes solutions, except for boron solution treatment without background electrolyte in both soils. As a comparison of divalent and monovalent cations, boron adsorbed content was higher with the solution containing calcium than in sodium chloride solution, due to the fact that calcium carbonate is an important boron adsorbing surface. This study reveals that the best conditions for maximum boron adsorption are defined by calcium chloride background electrolyte in this type of soil in a determined shaking time interval of 3 hours. This causes a low rate of boron assimilated by plants, which leads to the decrease of the crop yield and the agricultural production, and subsequently hurt the Tunisian national economy.

This study is investigated on endogenous variables inclusive of green growth by developing the concept of inclusive green growth in Indonesia. The objective of the current study was to describe the conditions of inclusive green development in each province in Indonesia, which is due to the unavailability of data describing the conditions of inclusive green development.  This study used time series data from 2011-2019, and cross section data of 34 provinces, which were analyzed using panel data regression research methods. The novelty of this study is the use of environmental quality variables to replace environmental degradation in calculating the composite variable of inclusive green growth.  The determinants of inclusive green growth used in this study were inclusive human development, regional independence, infrastructure, crime, industrialization and natural disasters. The important study findings were inclusive human development, regional financial performance, infrastructure and natural disasters have a significant positive effect on inclusive green growth in Indonesia. On the other hand, industrialization had a significant negative effect on inclusive green growth in Indonesia, while crime did not have a significant effect on inclusive green growth in Indonesia. Simultaneously, inclusive human development, regional independence, infrastructure, crime, industrialization and natural disasters had a significant impact on inclusive green growth in Indonesia. The second hypothesis in this study proved to be accepted. Meanwhile, the first hypothesis is not entirely accepted. Therefore, it is highly recommended for the provincial government in Indonesia to intervene on the variables of inclusive human development, regional financial performance, infrastructure, industrialization and natural disasters to increase inclusive green growth. Meanwhile, for future researchers, it is recommended to find other variables that contribute in achieving inclusive green growth.

This study analyzed the changes in land use and land cover trends and their implication on malaria transmission using satellite imagery applications. Deforestation or human land use activity related to water and development has expanded the ideal habitats for malaria-carrying mosquitoes, resulting in an upsurge of malaria transmission.The presence of these habitats and breeding increased the contact between humans and mosquitoes, thus increasing the number of malaria cases. The decrease of canopy and forest cover has increased the temperature, resulting in the shortening of aquatic stages and sporogony development of the mosquitoes. This study aims to provide an understanding of the relationship between the topography effect over the land-use factor and land cover change on malaria for more than ten years from 2005 to 2019 of transmission.

Malaria case data obtained were analyzed for the trends, incidence rate, and spatial distribution. Remote Sensing and geographic information system were used to determine the land use and land cover change in selected districts of North Borneo in Sabah, as the study areas.

The malaria incidence rate shows an increase from 2005 to 2019, with 149.64%. The transmission of the malaria vector dynamics and abundance with topography changes has changed with time, including with forest declination at 8.38%, and cropland change decreased at 16.61%. However, an expansion of 33.6% was observed for oil palm plantations. Overall, the results have shown that the range of incidence rate was found` highly viable from 0.29/1000 persons to 4.09/1000 people.

In conclusion, using geographic information system remote sensing with malaria integrated topography transmission information will be targeted by zoning most affected areas or the most productive larval habitat for remedial measures. This study can help to reduce the malaria vector population through environmental management related to the mosquito larval cycle in different land-use settings and change by minimizing the transmission by the targeted malaria control program.

Biodiversity is the variety of life that exists on Earth, including all the organisms, species, and populations that come together in a complex manner to form communities and ecosystems. This study aimed to assess the diversity of microalgae in several different sub-habitats by identifying their types and abundance in sediments, mangroves, macroalgae, and water columns; additionally, this study analyses the environmental factors that affected the abundance of microalgae in several sub-habitats.

This study used a quantitative descriptive method with data collection techniques, incorporating the purposive sampling method. Data were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling.

The results showed that the composition of microalgae species found in the sub-habitats of sediments, mangroves, macroalgae, and water columns at Siwil Beach were the class of Bacillariophyceae (70%), Chlorophyceae (17%), and Cyanophyceae (13%) in all sub-habitats. In Sempu Island, microalgae were found only from Bacillariophyceae (100%) in the four sub-habitats. The highest abundance of microalgae on Siwil Beach was in the sub-habitat of mangroves, with a total of 5,423,073 cells/cm2, while the highest abundance in Sempu Island was in the sub-habitat of macroalgae, with a value of 1,986,252 cells/cm2. Moreover, based on non-metric multidimensional scaling analyses, there was no similarity of algae diversity between Siwil Beach and Sempu Island, with a high variation of microalgae.

The present study demonstrated that the class Bacillariophyceae dominated the communities of microalgae found both in Siwil Beach and Sempu Island. Moreover, factors that mainly affected the abundance of microalgae were environmental, which is already proven by the measurement of water quality in each sub-habitat at both locations. Siwil Beach and Sempu Island water quality was relatively still under the Indonesian national quality standard for seawater. This research is thought to be the first step in exploring the diversity of microalgae in several sub-habitats in East Java, Indonesia, and linking the type and availability of microalgae found in various sub-habitats with environmental water quality parameters and human activities around the waters. In addition, this paper provides the basic information of microalgae diversity based on sub-habitats, especially in the southern part of East Java Indonesia.

The outcome of improper electronic waste management is an environmental and epidemiological catastrophe; therefore, its management has become crucial given the increase in e-waste generation. Global e-waste output eclipsed 52 million metric tonnes in 2020, growing at 3% per annum. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 12 highlights that only 20% of the generated e-waste was properly recycled, with the remainder indiscriminately disposed of. There has been considerable growth in publications on e-waste and the environment over the past few decades. This study provides an overview of the research landscape on the impact of e-waste on the environment using bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer software is used to visualise the current trends and the recent hotspots. It is observed that the research hotspots in the field are:  soil, health, environmental impact, recovery, electronic equipment, and waste electrical and electronic equipment. By tracing the evolutionary research pathway, it is clear that the research hotspots have shifted focus to e-waste generation, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and circular economy. A total of 141 articles on e-waste and the environment published between 2003 and 2021 were selected for the study. The publication and citation analysis showed a steady increase in publications and citations. China dominates with a third of articles published by authors, followed by India and the United States. Developing countries contributed about 17% of total publications. The articles retrieved were cited 5290 times and had an h-index of 39. Finally, using network analysis techniques, four key themes are identified. The first theme relates to the strategies employed in recovering minerals from e-waste. The second theme focuses on the concentration levels of the heavy minerals found in e-waste. The third theme visualises the impact of e-waste on health, and finally, the fourth theme highlights the effects of e-waste on the environment. The study adds valuable insights to the body of literature in hazardous and toxic substances management. No studies were found chronicling the environmental effects of e-waste using bibliometric analysis. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals, further research needs to be undertaken, and these findings serve as a baseline for policymakers and scholars as more management strategies and policies are enacted.