Iranian Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Winter 2009

Biosorption equilibrium of zinc ions to Spirulina platensis both in free and immobilized forms were studied in batch system with respect to pH, metal ion concentration, algal dosages and time. The maximum adsorption was observed at pH=8, optimum metal ion concentration and algal dose were 100 mg/L and 1g/100mL, respectively. Biosorption equilibrium was established in 90 minutes. The maximum attainable biosorption was found to be 97.1% for Spirulina platensis. The equilibrium adsorption capacities of adsorbents used for zinc ions were measured and extrapolated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models. Langmuir model was found to be in better correlation with experimental data. The maximum Langmuir constants Q◦ (mg/g) and b were 92.93 and 0.0012, respectively for Spirulina platensis embedded in calcium alginate matrix. The immobilized Spirulina platensis in calcium of alginate matrix was the best biosorbent. 0.1 M EDTA was used as an eluant, which allowed the reuse of biomass in three biosorption-desorption cycles without considerable loss in biosorption capacity. 89-95 % zinc ions were desorbed with EDTA. The functional groups involved in zinc biosorption were identified by using Fourier Transform Infra Red spectroscopy. Spectroscopic analysis of algae revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino, amide and imine groups, which were responsible for biosorption of zinc ions.

Coliform group has been extensively used as an indicator of drinking water quality and historically led to the public health protection concept. Multiple tube fermentation technique has been currently used for assessment of the microbial quality of drinking water. This method, however, has limitations. Enzymatic assay constitute an alternative approach for detecting indicator bacteria, namely total coliforms and E.coli in various aquatic environments. This study compared the performance of LMX® broth as an enzymatic assay with the standard methods multiple tube fermentation technique and presence-absence test, for the detection of indicator coliforms in drinking water samples. In addition, the potential effect of water quality on the microbial detection method was assayed through measurement of some physicochemical parameters. From the 50 drinking water samples tested, 8 (16%) and 7 (14%) contained total coliforms and E.coli as indicated by all three techniques. Although on average the LMX recovered more total coliforms and E.Coli numbers comparing to multiple tube fermentation, but there was no significant difference. A significant difference existed between the level of residual chlorine for positive and negative samples. In conclusion, enzymatic assay showed a rapid and less labor method, allowing the simultaneous detection of total coliforms and E.coli. The method is particularly useful in the early warning of fecal pollution of drinking water

Reactive dyes have been identified as problematic compounds in textile industries wastewater as they are water soluble and cannot be easily removed by conventional aerobic biological treatment systems. The treatability of a reactive dye (Brill Blue KN-R) by sequencing batch reactor and the influence of the dye concentration on system performance were investigated in this study. Brill Blue KN-R is one of the main dyes that are used in textile industries in Iran. Four cylindrical Plexiglas reactors were run for 36 days (5 days for acclimatization of sludge and 31 days for normal operation) at different initial dye concentrations. The dye concentrations were adjusted to be 20, 25, 30 and 40 mg/L in the reactors R1, R2, R3 and R4, respectively. In all reactors, effective volume, influent wastewater flowrate and sludge retention time were 5.5 L, 3.0 L/d and 10 d, respectively. According to the obtained data, average dye removal efficiencies of R1, R2, R3 and R4 were 57% ± 2, 50.18% ± 3, 44.97% ± 3 and 30.98% ± 3, respectively. The average COD removal efficiencies of all reactors were 97% ± 1, 97.12% ± 1, 96.93% ± 1 and 97.22% ± 1, respectively. The dye removal efficiency was decreased by increasing the dye concentration with the correlation coefficient of 0.997.

Chromium is known to be highly toxic to biological systems. This study was designed to determine the mutagenic effects of different concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/L) of hexavalent chromium on root tip cells of blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper). The blackgram seeds were equi-spacially arranged in sterilized petriplates lined with filter paper and they were treated with different concentrations of chromium solution. In germination studies, the morphological growth parameters such as germination percentage, root length, shoot length fresh weight and dry weight of blackgram seedlings were decreased with increasing dose of chromium concentrations. No germination of blackgram seeds was recorded at 300mg/l chromium concentration. Chromosome aberration assay was used to determine the mitotic indices and rate of chromosome aberration in blackgram root tip cells due to chromium treatment. The results showed that the mitotic indices were complicated due to different concentrations of chromium. However, the increase in chromium concentration has led to a gradual increase in the percentage of chromosomal aberration and mitotic index. The chromosome length, absolute chromosome length and average chromosome lengths were gradually found to decrease. There was no considerable change in 2n number of chromosome with the increase in chromium concentrations. It is concluded that the hexavalent chromium has significant mutagenic effect on the root tip cells of blackgram.

Lack of well-stabilized biosolids is a basic problem for many municipal wastewater treatment plants in Iran. Disposed biosolids from west Ahvaz wastewater treatment plant were generally used for agricultural activities. Initial evidence showed that these biosolids were untreated and had the potential to transmit many pollutants to the environment and create hazards for public health، although anaerobic digester was selected for this wastewater treatment plant. The main objective of this research was to evaluate and optimize the bacteriological quality of biosolids by lime addition in west Ahvaz wastewater treatment plant. The stability and reuse potential of biosolids from existing anaerobic digester and lime added biosolids were investigated. Lime addition to biosolids was performed in the reactor with 30 L capacity. Averge amounts of fecal coliforms and viable helminthes ova in disposal biosolids from anaerobic digester were 1. 3×1015 MPN / g of dry solids and 314 ova / 4 g of dry solids، respectively. By lime addition with the ratio about 0. 265 g Ca (OH) 2 per g of dry solids، pH was not dropped under 12 and growth of fecal coliform was not detected after 30 days. In this regard، discharged biosolids from this plant was unstable and very dangerous for reuse or disposal. Lime addition could stabilize the biosolids and reduce fecal coliforms more than 99. 99% and had concordance with class B of United State Environmental Protection Agency criteria. Lime-stabilized biosolids could hence be well used for reconditioning the poor soil and for covering of solid waste landfill-sites.

The climate of a conurbation is of great importance, in particular for public health and to provide good environment. Town planning should take into account how it can influence microclimate, especially in view of pollutant emissions by internal combustion engines. The objective of this study was to know the role and behaviour of green spaces in major cities on climate and air pollution. This article provides case studies of the effect of urban parklands on temperature, humidity and pollution, based on a series of formal measurements. Analysis of climatic data has found that gardens and parklands are responsible for significant precipitation. In this study, the present examples, which represent the most frequent cases found during the campaign measures, conform to this pattern. The influence of different types of gardens on temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation and the distribution of air pollution are presented. The results clearly showed the important role of parklands in urban areas. The parklands decreasing temperatures promote the reduction of urban heat island. Such green spaces, gardens and even squares are the least polluted places in a town. Breezes generated by the parklands repel and disperse pollutants, generally issue from traffic cars. Green spaces and gardens contribute significantly to improving the microclimate and reducing the rate of pollution in the city. Therefore, the parklands are the lungs of the city. The parkland should be the most important developments in the city of tomorrow.

Arak waste stabilization pond facilities consist of two stabilization pond systems, module 1 and module 2. The existing facilities have had several problems in their operation. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the performance of stabilization ponds in wastewater treatment of the city of Arak, because of several problems in their operation, and to prepare a scheme of its upgrading, if necessary. Within the period of May to September 2007, analyses were carried out for both raw and treated wastewaters. Results of these investigations showed that the average effluent concentrations of BOD5, COD and SS taken from primary and secondary facultative ponds of module 1 were 91.5, 169, 114; and 70, 160, 123 mg/L, respectively. These results indicated that the effluent of the primary facultative ponds of module 1 were complied with the Iranian treated wastewater standards for agricultural reuse in terms of BOD5 and COD concentrations; hence the secondary facultative ponds could be changed to other primary facultative ponds in order to increase the capacity of wastewater treatment plant. For module 2, BOD5, COD, and SS average concentrations of treated wastewater for the secondary and tertiary facultative ponds were obtained as 69, 101, 77; and 76, 127, 78 mg/L, respectively. Thus the effluent of the secondary facultative pond was complied with the considered standards in terms of all studied parameters. Consequently, the tertiary facultative pond could be changed to other secondary facultative pond to upgrade both the quality and the quantity of treated wastewater.

Tehran as the biggest city of Iran with a population of more than 10 millions has potentially high pollutant exposures of gas oil and gasoline combustion from vehicles that are commuting in the highways every day. The vehicle exhausts contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are produced by incomplete combustion and can be directly deposited in the environment. In the present study, the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination in the collected samples of a western highway in Tehran was investigated. The studied location was a busy highway in Tehran. High performance liquid chromatography equipped with florescence detector was used for determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in the studied samples. Total concentration of the ten studied polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compounds ranged from 11107 to 24342 ng/g dry weight in the dust samples and increased from 164 to 2886 ng/g dry weight in the soil samples taken from 300 m and middle of the highway, respectively. Also the average of Σ PAHs was 1759 ng/L in the water samples of pools in parks near the highway. The obtained results indicated that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination levels were very high in the vicinity of the highway.

The excessive biological sludge production is one of the disadvantages of aerobic wastewater treatment processes such as sequencing batch reactors. To solve the problem of excess sludge production, oxidizing some of the sludge by chlorine, thus reducing the biomass coefficient as well as the sewage sludge disposal may be a suitable idea. In this study, two sequencing batch reactors, each with 20 L volume and controlled by on-line system were used. After providing the steady state conditions in the reactors, sampling and testing of parameters were done during 8 months. The results showed that during the solid retention time of 10 days the kinetic coefficient of Y and Kd were 0.58 mg biomass/mg COD and 0.058/day, respectively. At the next stage, different concentrations of chlorine were used in the reactors intermittently. Results showed that 15 mg chlorine/gMLSS in the reactor was able to reduce the yield coefficient from 0.58 to 0.3 mg biomass/mg COD. In other words, the biological excess sludge was reduced about 48%. But the soluble chemical oxygen demand increased slightly in the effluent and the removal percentage decreased from 95% in the blank reactor to 55% in the test reactor.