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Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management - Volume:1 Issue: 1, Winter 2015

Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management
Volume:1 Issue: 1, Winter 2015

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1393/08/21
  • تعداد عناوین: 8
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  • D. Wolfe, M. Schorr, M. Hanson, C.H. Nelson, S.M. Richards Pages 1-14
    Widespread use of pharmaceuticals has resulted in mixture concentrations ranging from mg/L in effluent to µg/L concentrations in surface water. In a 2008 study, 13 pharmaceuticals, ranging in amounts from 0.0028 to 0.1757 µg/l, were identified in the Tennessee River, USA and its tributaries. In order to address the need for risk assessment of environmentally relevant pharmaceutical mixtures, Daphnia magna 21-d life cycle tests were performed on a mixture of 11 of the 13 pharmaceuticals as well as on the individual components of the mixture. Mixture exposures were based on the same initial ratios of individual compounds, up to 1000x the initial mixture concentrations. The endpoints of mortality, time to first brood, size, and fecundity were the assessed. The LOEC of the 11- pharmaceutical mixture was determined to be 100x greater than the measured mixture concentration detected in the Tennessee River, with the NOEC being 75x that of the measured mixture. Single concentrations of pharmaceuticals within the mixture up to the 100x LOEC were not statistically different from control for any of the assessed endpoints. Thus, no single pharmaceutical was deemed predominately responsible for the mixture toxicity at the concentrations tested. While mixtures of pharmaceuticals are common in many systems, based on the findings of the present study, they may not pose a significant acute or chronic hazard to aquatic invertebrates at current concentrations.
    Keywords: Pharmaceuticals, Mixture toxicity, Hazard assessment, Daphnia magna
  • L. Luo, J.-D. Gu Pages 15-26
    The distribution of extracellular enzyme activities in particle-size fractions of sediments was investigated in a subtropical mangrove ecosystem. Five enzymes involved in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycling were analyzed in the sand, silt, and clay of sediments. Among these fractions, the highest activities of phenol oxidase (PHO), β-D glucosidase (GLU), and N-acetyl-glucosiminidase (NAG) were found in sand, and greater than bulk sediments of both intertidal zone (IZ) and mangrove forest (MG). This result implied that sand fractions might protect selective enzymes through the adsorption without affecting their activities. Additionally, the enzyme-based resource allocation in various particle-size fractions demonstrated that nutirents availability varied with different particle-size fractions and only sand fraction of MG with highest total C showed high N and P availability among fractions. Besides, the analysis between elemental contents and enzymes activities in particle-size fractions suggested that enzymes could monitor the changes of nutrients availability and be good indicators of ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Thus, these results provided a means to assess the availability of different nutrients (C, N, and P) during decomposition of sediment organic matter (SOM), and thus helping to better manage the subtropical mangrove ecosystems to sequester C into SOM.
    Keywords: Extracellular enzymes, Resource allocation, Particle, size fraction, Mangrove ecosystem
  • D. Sivakumar Pages 27-40
    Present study dealt the removal of Cr(VI) in a tannery industry wastewater using rice husk silica powder as an adsorbent.The experimental investigations have been carried out by using rice husk silica powder for different adsorption dosage, different contact time and different pH against the initial Cr(VI) concentration of 292 mg/L. The maximum percentage removal of Cr(VI) in the tannery industrial wastewater (88.3 %) was found at an optimum adsorbent dosage of 15 g, contact time of 150 min., and pH of 4. Further, the experimental data on removal of Cr(VI) from tannery industry wastewater was validated with the Cr(VI) aqueous solution of same initial concentration of tannery industry waster against the optimum process parameters. The results of the validation experiment showed that the experiments conducted for the removal of Cr(VI) in a tannery industry wastewater may be reproducing capability for analyzing various parameters along with Cr(VI) based water and industry wastewater. The experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. Isotherm models result indicated that the equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm than Freundlich isotherm, because of higher correlation created between dependent and independent variables. Thus, the adsorption method using rice husk silica powder was used effectively for removing Cr(VI) in the tannery industrial wastewater, seems to be an economical and worthwhile alternative over other conventional methods, because of their abundant source, low price, multi-purposes and antimicrobial properties.
    Keywords: Adsorption, Isotherm Models, Magnetic Stirrer, Tannery Industry Wastewater, UV, VIS Spectrophotometer
  • A. R. Karbassi, M. Heidari Pages 41-46
    One of the most paramount processes that play a considerable role in reducing the concentration of heavy metals during estuarine mixing is flocculation. Not only does such a process cause a huge percentage of metals to come into the particulate phase, but also it provides ample nutrients for the aquatic life. In the present study, impact of such factors as salinity, pH and DO on flocculation of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd and Mn throughout mixing of Chaluse River with Caspian Sea is investigated. The trend of flocculation of Pb (24.32%) < Zn (24.38%) < Cd (40.00%) < Cu (64.71%) < Ni (68.00%) < Mn (76.47%) reveals that among the studied elements Mn and lead experience minimum and maximum flocculation at diverse salinity regimes, respectively. Moreover, flocculation rate of studied metals fluctuates between 24.32 and 76.47 percent. It is interesting to note that much of metal flocculation occurs at the very lower (less than 2 ppt) salinity regimes.
    Keywords: Dissolved Oxygen, Freshwater, Chalus River, pollution elimination, diverse salinities
  • A. Tariq, M. Athar, J. Ara, V. Sultana, S. Ehteshamul-Haque, M. Ahmad Pages 47-62
    In the present study ethanol and water extracts of 15 seaweeds, Dictyota dichotoma var. velutricata, Dictyota indica, Iyengaria stellata, Padina pavonia, Sargassum swartzii, Sargassum variegatum, Stoechospermum marginatum, Stokeyia indica, Jolyna laminarioides, Caulerpa taxifolia, Halimeda tuna, Ulva fasciata, Ulva lactuca, Solieria robusta, and Melanothamnus afaqhusainii, were evaluated for their antioxidant potential by ABTS or 2,2''-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), superoxide and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. The activity was concentration dependent and the variation in antioxidant potential was also observed by different assays in both extracts. Ethanol extract of D. dichotoma var. velutricata, D. indica and S. marginatum demonstrated highest activity by TAC assay. The antioxidant potential in organic solvent fractions of seaweeds namely P. pavonia, S. swartzii, S. marginatum and M. afaqhusainii was also determined and chloroform fraction of all the four seaweeds showed highest activity by superoxide assay. Antioxidant activity of extracted fractions of polysaccharides from S. indica, C. taxifolia and D. dichotoma var. velutricata was also evaluated by superoxide method. Polysaccharide fractions of S. indica obtained from HCl (at 700C and room temperature) and water extract demonstrated highest activity respectively. All the polysaccharide fractions of C. taxifolia showed excellent activity except CaClF70°C. Polysaccharide fractions of D. dichotoma var. velutricata also exhibited very good activity.
    Keywords: antioxidant activity, Karachi coast, Polysaccharide fractions, Seaweeds
  • J. Aravind, T. Saranya, P. P. Kanmani Pages 63-70
    Inorganic polyphosphates (PolyP) are linear polymers of few to several hundred orthophosphate residues, linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. Four isolates had been screened from soil sample. By MALDI-TOF analysis, they were identified as Bacillius cereus, Acinetobacter towneri, B. megaterium and B. cereus. The production of PolyP in four isolates was studied in phosphate uptake medium and sulfur deficient medium at pH 7. These organisms had shown significant production of PolyP after 22h of incubation. PolyP was extracted from the cells using alkaline lysis method. Among those isolates, Acinetobacter towneri was found to have high (24.57% w/w as P) accumulation of PolyP in sulfur deficient medium. The media optimization for sulfur deficiency was carried out using Response surface methodology (RSM). It was proven that increase in phosphate level in the presence of glucose, under sulfur limiting condition, enhanced the phosphate accumulation by Acinetobacter towneri and these condition can be simulated for the effective removal of phosphate from wastewater sources.
    Keywords: Polyphosphates, biopolymer, MALDI, TOF, sulfur deficient medium, Plackett, Burman, Neisser stain
  • V. K. Gupta, S. Khamparia, I. Tyagi, D. Jaspal, A. Malviya Pages 71-94
    Water plays a vital and essential role in our ecosystem. This natural resource is becoming scarce, making its availability a major social and economic concern. Use of a large variety of synthetic dyes in textile industries has raised an hazardous environmental alert. About 17 - 20% of freshwater pollution is caused by textile effluents. These effluents are recalcitrant to biodegradation and cause acute toxicity to the receiving water bodies, as these comprised of various types of toxic dyes, which are difficult to remove. Decolorisation of textile wastewater is therefore important before releasing it into the nearby local waterways. It therefore becomes essential to degrade the toxic chemicals of textile wastewater, so as to avoid the hazardous environmental effects. Several treatment methods have been employed to embark upon the problem of dye removal but degradation becomes further more difficult for effluents containing dye matrix. The review study has been an attempt to present the different diversified attempts used for decolorisation of a mixture of dyes.
    Keywords: Decolorisation, Dye mixture, Synthetic dye, Textile waste water, Ecosystem
  • A. G. S. Cuthbertson Pages 95-97
    Very little information exists in regards to the control options available for potato flea beetles, Epitrix spp. This short review covers both chemical and ecological options currently available for control of Epitrix spp. Synthetic pyrethroids are the weapon of choice for the beetles. However, the impetus in integrated pest management is to do timely (early-season) applications with something harsh which will give long-term protection at a time when there are not a lot of beneficials in the field. Finding the balance for control of Epitrix spp. is proving difficult.
    Keywords: Chemical control, Epitrix spp, Potato crops, Pesticide sprays