فهرست مطالب

Environmental Research - Volume:10 Issue: 3, Summer 2016

International Journal Of Environmental Research
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Summer 2016

  • تاریخ انتشار: 1395/08/16
  • تعداد عناوین: 12
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  • Mahsa Malakootian, Zahra Khodashenas Limoni, Mohammad Malakootian Pages 357-366
    Environment contamination by heavy metals is a major issue threatening human health. Adsorption is one of the biological processes for removing toxic metals from wastewater. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of lead biosorption from industrial wastewater by Spirulina platensis. This laboratory scale experimental study was performed during April 2014 to October 2014 in Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences. In order to determine lead biosorption by Spirulina platensis, different concentrations of biomass (0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 gr) were exposed to different lead concentrations (10, 50, 70, 100 and 150mg/L) under different conditions including pH (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and contact time (5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min). The rate of residual lead was determined using atomic adsorption instrument. Experiments were also performed in real conditions on battery manufacturing industry wastewater sample. Adsorption isotherms and metal ions kinetic modeling onto the adsorbent were determined based on Langmuir, Freundlich and first and second order kinetic models.Lead adsorption onto Spirulina platensis varied based on the conditions. At constant temperature of 25ºC, optimal pH 7, contact time of 60 minutes and adsorbent concentration of 2g/L, lead adsorption efficiency was 84.32% for real sample and92.13% for synthetic sample. Based on the obtained results, lead adsorption followed Langmuir model and second order kinetic equation. Spirulina platensis, due to its high adsorption potential, can be efficiently used for lead removal from industrial wastewater.
    Keywords: Heavy metals, Spirulina platensis alga, Wastewater treatment, Battery manufacturing industry, Isotherms
  • K. Laszlova, K. Dercova, H. Horvathova, S. Murinova, J. Skarba, H. Dudasova Pages 367-378
    The prospects of using the biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatment for the removal of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) from contaminated sediment collected from the sewage canal in the surroundings of a former PCB manufacturing plant in Slovakia is described. The eleven bacterial strains isolated in our previous work from sewage Strážsky canal sediments were able to aerobically degrade significant amounts of PCBs. Five of the bacterial isolates obtained were used in bioaugmentation treatment individually as single strains and within the eight artificially prepared consortia consisting of two or three strains. Bioaugmentation by a single strain was performed in other set of experiments combined with the addition of nonionic surfactants (Triton X and Tween 80) to increase bioavailability of PCBs and with the addition of terpenes (carvone and limonene) to induce required enzymes.
    The highest biodegradation of PCBs in biostimulation treatment was obtained using all three studied factors – addition of nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen to the indigenous microorganisms naturally present in the contaminated sediment. The highest biodegradation of PCBs in bioaugmentation experiments was obtained with the individual bacterial isolates (one Gram-positive and one Gram-negative), and with a laboratory prepared consortium consisting of three selected bacterial isolates. Addition of surfactant Tween 80 led to a higher biodegradation of PCBs than that of Triton X. Bioaugmentation treatment using the addition of single bacterial isolate and surfactant Tween 80 improved elimination of the evaluated indicator PCB congeners to the highest extent and thus appeared to be the most perspective technique for possible field bioremediation.
    Keywords: Bioaugmentation, Biostimulation, PCBs, Surfactants, Terpenes
  • H. W. Kimm., H. Lij., H. Kim, F. Jaber Pages 379-390
    This study examines the relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) changes and surface runoff generation empirically to reveal how urbanization has altered the hydrologic characteristics of a watershed. A hydrological model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), is employed to estimate the watershed runoff generation for two LULC scenarios from 2002 to 2010. The Cypress Creek watershed was chosen for the investigation because of its recent development pressure resulting from the rapid growth of Houston, Texas. This watershed is located within Harris County, 37 km from Houston. Results indicate that the mean annual runoff change was high for most sub-basins that experienced significant urbanization. The correlation coefficients between low, medium, and high intensity developed lands and the amount of surface runoff were significantly positive with values ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, while the correlation coefficient of greenspaces with surface runoff was -0.6. These findings reveal the importance of land use changes and development densities in managing stormwater and suggest local planners and decision makers on where and how to limit the future residential developments in rapidly growing suburbs.
    Keywords: SWAT, Stormwater management, Land cover, Urbanization, Suburbs
  • E. Pourkarimi, S. Zibakalam, N. Noroozi, M. Ebtekar Pages 391-400
    Environmental protection is a key element in urban management. Due to complex relationships between human and environment in metropolises the importance of environment is ever-increasing. In this paper The current situation of environment in Tehran metropolis including air, water, biodiversity and human habitat along with the most crucial threats, their effect as well as the associated agencies and organizations have been investigated, using the indicators of OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), UNEP (United Nation Environmental Program) and GFF (Global Environmental Fund). The current management of Tehran environment is studied based on a conceptual model and using SWOT analysis. Then, an ideal urban environmental management model is proposed for Tehran, with regard to the higher order legal documents of national and international levels and the global models such as: UN Habitat Program, Sustainable Cities Program, Policy and Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Cities Program, Healthy Cities Program, Agenda 21, Strategies of the Environmental European commission and a Good Governance Model, as well as the results of the SWOT analysis. In this model, the authorities in charge of urban management and their responsibilities are determined and classified at three levels of policy-making, decision making and implementation and Target, and the relationship between them are clarified.
    Keywords: Integrated management, urban environment, Legal framework, Sustainable city
  • O. Kuzukiran, B. Yurdakok, Dikmen, F. E. Totan, C. Celik, E. C. Orhan, E. K. Bilir, E. Kara, A. Filazi Pages 401-410
    Many of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with endocrine disrupting properties are monitored regularly by risk assessors with limited resources, where analytical procedures are usually laborious, expensive, and not ecofriendly. Moreover, these analyses were frequently advanced aiming one class of pollutants, consequently inefficient to correspond the demand of monitoring a quickly rising number of pollutants in the environment. The objective of this study was to develop a single sample extraction procedure and multiple gas chromatography-mass spectrometry runs for the detection of various groups of semi volatile organics; Polychlorinated Biphenyls (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180), Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (17, 47, 66, 100, 153, 183) and Organochlorine Pesticides (α-HCH, HCB, γ-HCH, Heptachlor, p,p-DDD, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT) in sediment and water samples simultaneously. Extraction for water involved solid phase extraction using C18 and for sediment using homemade column with florisil, primary secondary amine and magnesium sulfate with ultrasonication step by acetone. This procedure was validated and applied to water samples from tap, river and lake; and sediment samples from river and lake. For both matrices and all analytes, high linearity, recovery (88-106%) with all relative standart deviation values
    Keywords: PCB, PBDE, OCPs, GC, MS, Method
  • G. Zambon, R. Benocci, G. Brambilla Pages 411-420
    Monitoring of road traffic noise is becoming an important issue in modern cities due to the spreading of noise pollution and the extension of monitored areas. Thus, the stratified spatial sampling is frequently applied to reduce the costs and provide adequate accuracy in order to obtain reliable noise maps. The definition of the strata in the sampling may refer to the legislative classification of roads: in Italy 8 classes of roads are defined. Generally, this classification often does not reflect the actual use of roads in the mobility network, as it is mainly based on the their geometrical characteristics. In order to improve the efficiency of stratification, an alternative criterion is proposed, based on clustering of 24 h patterns of road traffic noise. To explain this criterion, a preliminary analysis of 74 patterns of 24 h continuous monitoring of the hourly equivalent levels LAeqh taken in the city of Milan, Italy, in 35 different sites has been performed. The applied agglomerative algorithms provided two groups and the mean profile of each cluster was associated with the available traffic flow data, namely the rate at morning rush hour. By means of ROC curve, the first cluster was associated with traffic flow greater than 1500 vehicles/hour and the second with less than 1500 vehicles/hour. The proposed criterion of road stratification performed better than the one based on the legislative classification of roads as, for a given accuracy, it needs a lower number of sites to estimate the noise indicators.
    Keywords: Urban traffic monitoring, Classification of roads, Statistical analysis, spatial stratification
  • M. Anbia, H. Pazoki Pages 421-426
    Zinc (Ⅱ) tricarboxylate (Zn-BTC) with metal-organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized for the first time under solvothermal conditions and has been tested as an adsorbent for methane and carbon dioxide at standard temperature and pressure. The adsorbent was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sorption capacity of the methane and carbon dioxide on Zn-BTC in the range of pressure 1-20 bar and at 298 K was investigated by volumetric measurement. This results show that Zn-BTC has higher sorption capacity methane at 20 bar compared to carbon dioxide. The high sorption capacity of this adsorbent for methane is attributed to large number of open metal site and the appropriate pore diameter of framework that caused higher interaction for the methane at between methane and carbon dioxide, suggests that (Zn-BTC) is a potential adsorbent for the separation of methane from gas mixtures.
    Keywords: Methane, Metal organic framework, Carbon dioxide, Adsorption, Solvothermal
  • J. Bystricka, J. Arvay, J. Musilova, A. Vollmannova, T. Toth, M. Lenkova Pages 427-440
    Onion (Allium cepa L.) is widely used around the world and it is very important vegetable in the Slovak Republic (SR). Six varieties of onion (Karmen, Kamal, Amika, Hector, Diamant, White Dry) were studied and the contents of selected heavy metals, their polyphenol contents as well as the possible correlations among selected heavy metals in soil and onions were analysed. Six soil sampling sites were selected and the analyses of pH/KCl, P, K, Mg and certain heavy metals (as total and mobile fraction) were provided. The concentrations of minerals and heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and the content of total polyphenols was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteau reagent.
    Results revealed the excess in maximum amounts for total Cd content, where values ranged from 0.90 to 1.24 mg/kg as well as for mobile form of cadmium and lead where values were in the range 0.06 – 0.14 mg/kg and 0.6 – 1.07 mg/kg, respectively. The content of three metals (Cr, Cd, Pb) in the dry matter (DM) of the onions exceeded the limits set by the European Union and Food Codex of Slovak Republic. Polyphenols concentration varied in the range from 162.84 mg/kg (white variety Diamant) to 1387.89 mg/kg FW (red variety Kamal).
    Among the varieties statistically significant differences (P
    Keywords: Onion, Heavy metals, Pollution, Soil, Food safety
  • M. Rastegari, M. Saeedi, A. Mollahosseini, M. Ayatinia Pages 441-448
    Several factors effect on sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. Co-existence of metals and organic matter of soil are among important affecting factors on sorptive behavior of PAHs. This research investigated the effect of organic matter content and heavy metals (lead, nickel and zinc), on sorption of phenanthrene onto kaolinite. For this purpose, sorption of the organic matter to the kaolinite clay was investigated through batch experiments. Six types of soils in presence and absence of metals at different levels organic matter were prepared for assessment of phenanthrene sorption. Obtained data for phenanthrene sorption were well described by linear Freundlich isotherm. Making comparison between linear distribution coefficients (Kd) of phenanthrene for six prepared soils showed that heavy metals and organic matter can increase the sorption of phenanthrene. Heavy metals coexisting with organic matter have a synergic effect onphenanthrene Kd increment. A model to predict the sorption of phenanthrene onto kaolinite was developed and verified using obtained experimental data.
    Keywords: Phenanthrene, Heavy metals, Organic matters, Sorption, Kaolinite
  • M. Rusin, J. Gospodarek Pages 449-458
    The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the process of natural bioremediation, and bioremediation supported by ZB-01 microbiological preparation on the occurrence of Collembola and Araneae in conditions of soil contaminated by petroleum-derived substances. The studies were conducted in 2010-2012, in the area of the Experiment Station of the University of Agriculture, near Kraków. In June 2010, the soil surface was contaminated with petrol, diesel fuel and engine oil with amount of 6 000 mg per kg of dry mass of soil. The studies were conducted in two series. The first employed microbiological bioremediation using ZB-01 biopreparation, and the second – without applying this process. The catching of invertebrates was done by using pitfall traps. The results of the experiment show that the representatives of the Entomobryidae and Isotomidae families are suitable for assessing the rate of bioremediation. Epigeic spiders do not react negatively to soil contamination. Biopreparation caused the acceleration of the recolonisation of the soil by representatives of the Isotomidae and Hypogastruidae families. With regard to the spiders, the application of biopreparation eliminated the aforementioned effect of increasing the numbers of the Lycosidae family in the object contaminated with engine oil.
    Keywords: Bioremediation process, Fuels, Petrol, Collembola, Araneae
  • N. Amirrajab, I. Haghani, M. Rasuli, T. Shokohi Pages 459-464
    Migratory birds can become long-distance vectors for a wide range of microorganisms. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans in the cloacae, crop and nasal cavity of migratory birds in order to assess their role as potential reservoirs and/or mechanical vectors of human and animal cryptococcosis. A total of 700 samples (cloacae, crops and nasal secretions) of 300 wild migratory birds (with the permission of the local Department of Environment) were collected and inoculated on Niger seed agar (NSA), incubated for two weeks at 30 ºC and daily observed for the presence of brown yeast colonies, which is presumptive for C. neoformans. The species identification was confirmed using conventional and molecular methods. Out of 700 samples, 4 samples (0.6%) from cloacae of 2 Anas crecca (2 cases), Anas platyrhychos (1 case) and Fulica atra (1 case) were positive for C. neoformans. To the best of our knowledge, due to low isolation rate of C. neoformans from cloacae, crops and nasal secretions, transmission from these samples could be as a minimal risk factor for human and animal cryptococcosis, unlike the dry excreta of wild pigeons.
    Keywords: Migratory birds, Cryptococcus neoformans, Cloaca, Crop, Nasal secretion
  • J. L. Salgueiro, L. Perez, R. Maceiras, A. Sanchez, A. Cancela Pages 465-470
    Wastewater contains many organic and inorganic contaminants that can cause serious damage to the environment and health of people, Therefore, they have to be eliminated before being downloaded into sensitive areas. Different methods of wastewater purification have been used for contaminants removal. However, they present some technical and economic limitations. Thus, new methods of nutrients removal by microalgae based on phytoremediation techniques, become promising methods due to its viability. The objective of wastewater treatment is to improve and purify the water. For that, the removal of all or some of the nutrients present in water is carried out, resulting in a reusable or suitable water to be returned to its natural environment. This study investigates the capacity of Chlorella Vulgaris microalga as a potential candidate for removing the phosphorous and organic matter from wastewater. The strain of microalga was cultivated in synthetic wastewater at room temperature with artificial illumination and aeration. Algal growth parameters such as pH, chemical oxygen demand, phosphorus, cell number, optical density and dry weight were measured during experimental period. Under these conditions, microalgae were able to remove the phosphorus concentration by more than 99%. By other hand, the chemical oxygen demand was reduced at 71 %. After 9 days of cultivation, the biomass concentration increased from 0.05 to 0.57 g/L. The results of this study suggest that growing Chlorella Vulgaris microalgae in wastewater offers a new option of applying algae to manage the nutrient load. After then obtained biomass can be used for biofuel production.
    Keywords: Chlorella Vulgaris, bioremediation, Wastewater, Chemical oxygen demand, Phosphorus