Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are present in all environmental matrices. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-rich wastewater from the oil industry is discharged into natural water bodies. Detritivorous fish shown the effects of pollutants in water. Biomarkers of effect make it possible to demonstrate exposure to xenobiotics such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatic and erythrocyte response in Aequidens metae, a detritivorous fish, exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in terms of morphological, biochemical, and genotoxic changes.

Juveniles of Aequidens metae were exposed to 50 microgram per gram body weight of beta-naphthoflavone, 100 microgram per gram of naphthalene, 50 microgram per gram of phenanthrene and 10 microgram per gram of benzo[a]pyrene, for 72 hours. Water quality variables, total protein content, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity, liver histopathological changes and genotoxic alterations in peripheral blood were measured during the assay.

In polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons-exposed fish, analysis of liver tissue revealed parenchymal lesions and changes in the number and shape of hepatocyte nuclei. On the other hand, only fish exposed to benzo[a]pyrene shown significant increase in the 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity compared to solvent control. In peripheral blood erythrocytes, increased presence of nuclear abnormalities was higher in fish exposed to phenanthrene, followed by benzo[a]pyrene, beta-naphthoflavone, and naphthalene.

It is concluded that Aequidens metae is a suitable bioindicator for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. Phenanthrene reveals for the first time a greater genotoxic effect than benzo[a]pyrene at sublethal concentrations. Juveniles of Aequidens metae exposed to concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons close to those found in the environment showed health-compromising damage.

Soil or rock types in a region are often interpreted qualitatively by visually comparing various geophysical properties such as seismic wave velocity and vulnerability, as well as gravity data. Better insight and less human-dependent interpretation of soil types can be obtained from a joint analysis of separated and independent geophysical parameters. This paper discusses the application of a neural network approach to derive rock properties and seismic vulnerability from horizontal-to-vertical seismic ratio and seismic wave velocity data recorded in Majalengka-West Java, Indonesia.

Seismic microtremors were recorded at 54 locations and additionally multichannel analyses of surface wave experiments were performed at 18 locations because the multichannel analyses of surface wave experiment needs more effort and space. From the two methods, the values of the average shear wave velocity for the upper 30 meters, peak amplitudes and the dominant frequency between the measurement points were obtained from the interpolation of those geophysical data. Neural network was then applied to adaptively cluster and map the geophysical parameters. Four learning model clusters were developed from the three input seismic parameters: shear wave velocity, peak amplitude, and dominant frequency.

Generally, the values of the horizontal to vertical spectral ratios in the west of the study area were low (less than 5) compared with those in the southeastern part. The dominant frequency values in the west were mostly low at around 0.1–3 Hertz, associated with thick sedimentary layer. The pattern of the shear wave velocity map correlates with that of the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio map as the amplification is related to the soil or rock rigidity represented by the shear wave velocity. The combination of the geophysical data showed new features which is not found on the geological map such as in the eastern part of the study area.

The application of the neural network based clustering analysis to the geophysical data revealed four rock types which are difficult to observe visually. The four clusters classified based on the variation of the geophysical parameters show a good correlation to rock types obtained from previous geological surveys. The clustering classified safe and vulnerable regions although detailed investigation is still required for confirmation before further development. This study demonstrates that low-cost geophysical experiments combined with neural network-based clustering can provide additional information which is important for seismic hazard mitigation in densely populated areas.

In the meat industry, inefficient management of organic waste exists, therefore the study aims to evaluate different bovine and poultry organic residues as food substrates during larval development of the black soldier fly, such as a sustainable alternative to obtain high protein meal.

The research evaluates the use of organic waste from cattle and poultry slaughterhouses, as food substrate for black soldier fly larvae, including raw beef blood T1, raw beef viscera T2, cooked beef blood T3, cooked beef viscera T4, raw chicken viscera T6 and cooked chicken viscera T7; further, as a control measure balanced feed (7 treatments and 5 replicates). Larvae were fed for 5 days and processed to make meal by drying and grinding; evaluating mortality, weight, size, proximal chemical composition, and apparent digestibility to determine the most viable substrate, analyzing effects and significance by multifactorial ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis.

The results show Mortality (F = 917,81, p < 0,0001): T1 y T3 with 76,40 ± 2,86 (%) (F = 917,81, p < 0,0001), following T6 with 69,67 ± 4,55%, T7 with 24,00 ± 3,48%, T2 with 4,60 ± 1,92 %, T5 y T4, both with 4,20 ± 2,00 %. Weight (F = 825,62, p < 0,0001): T2 with 1,78 ± 0,22 gram outperformed the control T5 (1,76 ± 0,50 gram), T4 with 1,45 ± 0,06 g and T7 with 1,66 ± 0,07 gram. Size (F = 248,95, p < 0,0001): T5 with 16,03 ± 0,34 mm, T2 with 15,86 ± 0,22 mm, T4 with 14,72 ± 0,35 mm and finally, 14,51 ± 0,14 millimeter in T7. Proximal chemical analysis of crude protein and fat: T2 resulted in the following results 50,81 % and 21,88 %, T4 with 53,90% y 15,04%, T7 with 42,63 % and 32,03%, and T5 con 41,1 % and 19.55%, respectively. Digestibility: T5 with 20,39%, T2 with 12,66%, T4 with 10,61% and T7 with 5,97%. T2 raw beef viscera were determined to be the most viable substrate, followed by T4 cooked beef viscera and T7 cooked chicken viscera.

Testing the effectiveness of cattle viscera as substrate, the experimental data presented may help design a process for an effective treatment method for slaughterhouse waste, which might benefit developing nations in managing their waste effectively, generating high protein meal, with the potential for a circular bioeconomy.

Chronic exposure to fine particulate matter may cause adverse health impacts on humans. The impact of  fine particulate matter  collected in the industrial area was explored. Therefore, this study aimed 1) to assess the levels and spatial distribution of fine particulate matter and 2) to estimate the health risks due to the exposure of fine particulate matter in the population surrounding the Maros cement industry.

Fine particulate matter measurement was carried out using direct reading HAZ-Dust Environmental Particulate Air Monitor  5000. This study used the Human Health Risk Assessment method from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to estimate health risks. The Monte Carlo Simulation model was used to estimate the uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of parameters.

The average fine particulate matter concentration was 23.68 micrograms per cubic meter, above the air quality guidelines of the World Health Organization. However, the Monte Carlo Simulation to assess the health risk with the 95th percentile demonstrated that children and adults are at low risk for developing adverse health effects. The result of sensitivity analysis showed that duration of exposure (27.0%) and concentration of fine particulate matter (25.7%) were the most contributing factors to health risks in adults and children, respectively. This new approach determines the critical factors with major effects on reducing the health risk of the vulnerable population.

Fine particulate matter poses health risks to adults and children, despite the calculated risks are still acceptable. Thus, limiting exposure duration and maintaining fine particulate matter levels in the residential area are needed.

One of the best retributions that man can make to the environment and that promotes development is the incorporation of waste into truly productive processes. In this sense, the main objective of this study was to take advantage of the vegetal residues from tree pruning obtained from the maintenance of the overhead wiring of the electrical networks in the city of Barranquilla, in Colombia, to produce an organic fertilizer, which are some of the most demanded products in the world. The production of organic fertilizer was carried out by composting using the Pleurotus sp. fungus as an accelerator of the process.

For compost production, three treatments were used based on a mixture of manure, pruning, banana bagasse and Pleurotus sp. as an accelerator process. Each treatment was layered and then arranged in beds of compost piles. The temperature and humidity were monitored throughout the process. Physicochemical parameters were measured at the end of the process in concordance with the Colombian Technical Standard 5761. To evaluate the biological efficiency of the compost, two doses were tested with each 100 gram and 200 gram of fertilizer for each 500 gram of soil using corn seeds, which were sown in bags over a period of three months. At the end of the test, biological growth parameters such as foliar development, amount of biomass and fruiting were measured.

Most of the physicochemical and biological parameters were within the NTC 5167 standard. The treatment with the highest percentage of degradation by composting was treatment number 2 (with Pleurotus sp.), which showed that with 60 percent of fresh prunings in the formulation, Pleurotus accelerates the process by 24 percent compared to the other treatments.

In summary, the tested method is a good route to produce fertilizers from pruning wastes. Regarding the effect of the fertilizer on the development of corn seedlings, a positive effect was observed compared to the control. Otherwise, in the composting process, the fungus significantly accelerates the process and at the same time shows an overgrowth.

Waste remains an issue in tandem with the development of the local community. The quantity of waste that is stockpiled in the landfill impacts the amount of leachate, resulting in emissions and reduced landfill capacity. The main challenge for its management is choosing the most cost-effective method to minimize leachate and emissions and increase the amount of waste that is stockpiled, resulting in a longer service life of the landfill. This study aimed to select the treatment at a landfill site.

Field observations and sampling of waste composition were carried out at the Klaten Regency. Waste composition sampling was carried out over several years. Material flow analysis was used to calculate the amount of leachate, emissions, and waste in the landfills. The effectiveness and benefits of the treatment scenarios were compared.

  The waste consists of 55 per cent organic, 24 per cent plastic, 10 per cent paper, 3 per cent wood, 2 per cent cloth, 1 per cent glass, 1 per cent metal, and 4 per cent others. The processing scenarios were determined based on this composition. Four prospective scenarios were identified: 1) waste processing with composting; 2) composting and reuse, reduction, and recycling; 3) waste to energy; and 4) the combined process of scenarios 1 – 3. All treatments carried out can reduce leachate by 5.09 – 14.32 per cent, emissions of 11.31 – 44.48 per cent, waste 14.13 – 65.97 tons/day in the landfill, and can extend the service life of the landfill by 3 – 14 years.

 Material flow analysis was used to calculate the waste processing, emission rate, and leachate production from the four processing scenarios. The reduction of leachate and emission was affected by the treatment used. Combined processing (scenario 2 or 4) can reduce leachate and emissions and extend service life. The selected processing alternative must also consider the benefit-cost ratio. Scenarios (2) and (4) have a benefit-cost ratio of more than 1, which means that the processing is feasible to implement. Scenario 4 has a higher investment cost; so, the scenario that can be applied to the Troketon landfill is scenario 2 with a small investment cost, capable of reducing polluters, extending the landfill's service life to more than 4 years, and a benefit-cost ratio of more than 1.

Coronavirus-19 has affected carbon emissions, which was declared as a pandemic by World Health Organization. Unprecedented environmental effects are being caused by Bangladesh's strict lockdown policies, which were implemented to stop the spread of Coronavirus-19. However, it is still unclear how the temporary halting and restart of industrial and commercial activities will affect the environment. In this study, it has been identified how Coronavirus-19 determinants like lockdown, daily confirmed cases, and daily confirmed deaths affect greenhouse gases. 

From March 18, 2020 to February 4, 2022 the data series is used for Bangladesh. To ensure that the data series were stationary, the Augmented Dickey–Fuller and Phillips–Perron tests were utilized. Johansen co-integration test was utilized to determine co-integration among variables. The Granger causality test was utilized to identify directional causes and effects between Coronavirus-19 determinants and carbon emissions and the Vector Error Correction Model was employed to determine short-run and long run connections. 

The study finds a bidirectional relationship between lockdown, carbon emissions and daily confirmed deaths, while a unidirectional association exists among Coronavirus-19 confirmed cases according to the Vector Error Correction Model. The Granger causality test also established the relationship between variables, except for daily confirmed cases. The pandemic's onset and subsequent lockdown resulted in decreased carbon dioxide  emissions. The short-run link of carbon dioxide emissions with newly confirmed cases was corroborated by the directional relationship of variables, whereas there was a long-term and short-term association between confirmed deaths and lockdown. 

The reduction in carbon emissions during the pandemic will not be long-lasting because it is anticipated that global economic activity will gradually return to the pre- Coronavirus-19 state. The directional and relational nature of lockdown offers the potential to connect carbon dioxide emissions to regular lives. During a lockdown, there is a connection between the atmosphere's changes and how natural organisms behave. Importantly, there is a room for investigation into how communities of organisms and the atmosphere would function without humans. The essential point is to stress that during the lockdown, the ecosystem is self-healing. Environmental activists and business people will find this study useful in developing future sustainable improvement strategies.

Manager involvement is very important in environmental protection. Since then, many managers have integrated environmental sustainability into their business strategies by adopting green practices that focus on green products. The aim of the current study is to examine the effect of environmental knowledge on green products and the mediating role of environmental awareness and environmentally friendly attitudes

This study used a structured questionnaire for collecting data, where respondents were asked to provide their responses to green products produced by environmentally friendly manufacturing companies. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test and analyze the relationships in the proposed model.

The results of the study explained that in order to create a green product, managers'' awareness of the environment needs to be formed which can be realized by the presence of a number of knowledge about the environment. Thus, environmental awareness is a mediator between environmental knowledge and green products. However, an environmentally friendly attitude is not a mediator between environmental knowledge and green products.

Managers'' awareness of the environment must be realized by sharing knowledge about the importance of protecting the environment because this will affect the production of green products.

Urbanization has been causing many problems for the environment and society. An ineffective and inefficient government also contributes to urban problems by increasing public dissatisfaction and distrust of government. Technological Improvements makes it possible for local governments in Indonesia to implement the concept of  “Smart City” as a solution to solve urban problems. This study aims to fill the gap by examining the impact of smart city application on public trust towards the government.

A primary data collection was conducted in 2021 to profile the citizens' behaviour in terms of smart city application. This study had surveyed four big cities in Indonesia that had built smart city applications well: Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya. The primary data were analyzed through ordinary least squares regression.

This study founds that the fundamental factors of smart city applications that are statistically significant were on quality, satisfaction, and reliability. These factors had positive and significant impacts on the level of trust in the local government. Based on the regression model, the increase of application quality score by 1 affects the score of trust in the local government, which will rise by 0.440 (Jakarta), 0.269 (Bandung), and 0.245 (Semarang), and 0.212 (Surabaya). The increase in application satisfaction score by 1 affects the score of trust in local government, which will rise by 0.193 (Jakarta), 0.431 (Bandung), 0.07 (Semarang), and 0.186 (Surabaya). Also, an increase in application reliability score by 1 affects a rise in trust in local government by 0.187 (Jakarta), 0.204 (Bandung), 0.137 (Semarang), and 0.192 (Surabaya).

Smart city applications can shape public trust by increasing the application's quality, satisfaction, reliability and community empowerment. However, it should be noted that the number of community which uses smart city application is still low. Therefore, It is necessary to encourage a culture of using those applications to help build citizens’ trust in the government and improve urban quality.

Odonate larvae play an important role in macroinvertebrate trophic networks and are excellent proxies for wetland quality. However, despite their ecological importance, research on odonates and how they interact with their environment is scarce. This study aims to assess macroinvertebrate composition as determinants of larval abundance in Miathyria marcella (Odonata: Anizoptera: Libellulidae).

29 samples were collected from six wetlands with different hydrological influence using standardized invertebrate sampling techniques in the Department of Atlántico, northern Colombia. Standardized invertebrate sampling techniques were used in 29 sampling points. Obtained data were used to analyze invertebrate abundance and a non-parametric multidimensional scaling analysis was applied. In addition, a correlation analysis was conducted between macroinvertebrate composition and Miathyria  marcella larval abundance.

A total of 2586 larvae, and 12925 individual macroinvertebrates were collected, distributed in 25 orders and 58 families. The most abundant orders were Neotaenioglossa (26 percent), Odonata (15 percent) Calanoida (10 percent) and Diptera (8 percent). Heatmap and scaling analysis indicated different macroinvertebrate compositions in the sampled wetlands. A high positive correlation between Miathyria marcella and the orders Odonata (R2 = 0.84, p-value ≤ 0.05), Coleoptera (R2 = 0.52, p-value ≤ 0.05), Basommatophora (R2 = 0.60, p-value ≤ 0.05) and Hemiptera (R2 = 0.50, p-value ≤ 0.05).

The results suggest that the abundance of Miathyria marcella responds to the accompanying macroinvertebrates, the composition of which depends on the type of hydrological influence. Approaches focused on the relationships between macroinvertebrate taxa are important conservation tools for biodiversity assessment. Results from this study will serve as a baseline to propose monitoring and follow-up strategies on the environmental sustainability in wetlands in this region.

Land suitability analysis is a technique of attaining optimum utilization of natural available land resource. This study is the first attempt to map the potential rice suitability zone besides the existing rice cultivation zone in Imphal-Iril River catchment. The overriding objective of this study is to identify the land suitability potential zones for rice crop cultivation. The study was carried-out in Imphal-Iril River catchment, Manipur, India.

The suitability analysis was carried-out based on soil, climate and topographic parameters as the input variable using integrated geographical information system and analytic hierarchy process, a multi criteria decision based approach. To compute criteria weight for various suitability classes, pairwise comparison matrix was applied using analytical hierarchy process and the resulting weights were used for assigning criteria ranking.

The study result indicates that the major section of high and moderate potential suitability zones of rice is concentrated in the flatter valley regions of the catchment.  The result also indicates that there is 79.15 km2 of the area which can be potentially cultivated other than the existing agriculture cover. The major patches of such zones are found in the north-western portion of the valley region in the catchment.

This study clearly indicates, the potential zones lying in the foothills in the north-western which are still not under the agriculture cover have the potential to be cultivated as per the model result. The model result clearly indicates the potential of geographical information system integrated with analytical hierarchy process technique can be utilized to decide the weights of each individual parameter using experts’ opinions which can serve as a versatile tool to carry-out such kind of analysis which can aid policy makers.

Air pollution is associated with population growth and economic advancement. Severe cardiovascular complications that require extensive medical service are aggravated by air pollutants. This study illustrates the trend and correlation of cardiovascular disease hospital admission with air pollutants in Sabah for the past 9 years (2010–2019). The additional information obtained from this study will be useful to enhance proper environmental management and reduce air pollution in the cities of Sabah.

Ecological study design was utilized with cardiovascular disease hospital admission and ambient air pollutants in Sabah retrospective data. Data were collected from four districts with established continuous air quality monitoring stations. Collected data were analysed spatially and statistically. Autoregressive integrated moving average modelling was implemented to forecast the cardiovascular disease hospital admission.

Kota Kinabalu recorded the highest hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease, followed by Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau. The cardiovascular disease hospital admission prevalence rate in Kota Kinabalu was 12.45 per 1,000 population, followed by Sandakan, Tawau and Keningau (4.54; 4.18; and 5.88 per 1,000 population) in 2019. The cardiovascular hospital admissions increased in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. The nitrogen dioxide (<0.04 ppm), carbon monoxide (<9 ppm), ozone (<0.05 ppm) and PM10 (<100 µg/m3) gases detected are below the national standard limit levels. In the later years of the series, the ozone and fine particulate gases intensify. Carbon monoxide has the highest positive correlation with cardiovascular disease hospital admission compared to other air pollutants. The autoregressive integrated moving average (0,1,1) with carbon monoxide and ozone as external regressors is the model with minimum Akaike information criterion.

The carbon monoxide concentration in ambient air illustrates a potential risk for the increasing cardiovascular disease hospital admission number in Sabah. The study findings provide evidence-based source for the healthcare management team, policymakers, and community to sustain clean and safe ambient air.