Hasil untuk "Environmental effects of industries and plants"

Ritu Gothwal, T. Shashidhar

Hao Zhang, Mindy Reynolds

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that accumulates in living systems. Exposure can occur occupationally or environmentally. Workers within the electroplating, battery production, and pigment industries are at the highest risk for exposure and have been reported to have increased levels of Cd in their blood and urine. Environmental exposure can be the result of anthropogenic activities or smoking. Cd has a long half-life and bio accumulates in plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. The toxic effects following exposure include growth retardation and organ system toxicity, with kidney and liver toxicity most reported with in higher organisms. At the molecular level, Cd leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and inhibition of DNA repair. This article gives a brief overview of the correlations between exposure to cadmium occupationally and environmentally and levels measured in blood and urine. It also examines the bioaccumulation of cadmium in aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates indicating that accumulation varies not only by location but also within and between various species.

Amir Rezvankhah, Z. Emam-djomeh, G. Askari

Abstract There are various bioactive components exist in plants, fruits, and vegetable origins that have many beneficial health effects (mainly antioxidant). However, they suffer from low-stability against the environmental condition. Thus, the encapsulation approach emerged to decrease their sensitivity and present a target delivery system. Generally, native carrier agents (polysaccharides and proteins) are being applied to embed the core materials. Accordingly, many encapsulation methods have been developed to protect vulnerable components by these carriers. Spray and freeze-drying are common encapsulation methods with the ability of powder production. Both feed emulsion production and drying process factors substantially influence the core embedded within the carrier agents. Spray-drying is well-known to higher applicable and scalable encapsulation procedure in the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is predominantly related to its lower process costs. Nevertheless, its application is limited for more sensitive bioactive compounds due to hot-air drying exertion. In contrast, freeze-drying has been mostly used for thermo-sensitive ingredients. Its application is restricted by economic drawbacks for which long process time (24–48 h) is required. However, freeze-drying is adequately taken into an advantage in the encapsulation of therapeutic compounds since high-added value products will be produced so that bioactive compounds with higher biological activity are needed.

A. Vivekanand, Sanjeeb Mohapatra, V. Tyagi

V. Kirthika, L. Bhagya, C. Kariyawasam et al.

Astghik Sukiasyan, Surik Hunanyan, Tatevik Jhangiryan et al.

An investigation was conducted into variations in concentrations of selected heavy metals (HMs) in soil and in spring- and winter-wheat crops cultivated near the Alaverdi Copper Smelting Plant (ACSP). The study aimed to elucidate the relationship between their agrochemical indicators and distance from the pollution source, specifically the ACSP. Soil samples were collected from private farm sites at specified distances from the primary pollution source, including 3, 5, 10, and 30 km, reflecting the prevailing wind direction gradient in each region. Changes in the concentration of HMs in soil are largely due to alternation between accumulation within the soil layer and subsequent migration away from the immediate source of pollution. In areas close to the main source of pollution (3 km), intensive accumulation and passive scattering of HMs in the soil were observed, as the ratios Cc > 1 and Sc < 1 were maintained for all elements. The total pollution index analysis revealed that within 3 km, only Cu and Pb exhibited fifth-degree contamination, while Zn and Mo showed third-degree contamination. The overall soil contamination indicated a dangerous hazard level up to 3 km and a moderate risk level up to 5 km. The accumulation potential of HMs was observed in the following order: Mo < Pb < Cu < Zn. The mobility index was calculated as the ratio of HMs concentrations in roots-to-straw and straw-to-grain for both plants. Uptake increases several times as total HM concentrations in soil rise.

Abderrhmane Bouafia, Souhaila Meneceur, Souheyla Chami et al.

Considered heavy metals, such as As(III), Bi(II), Cd(II), Cr(VI), Mn(II), Mo(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Sb(III), Se(-II), Zn(II), and contaminating chemical compounds (monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as phenolic or polycyclic derivatives) in wastewater (petrochemical industries: oil and gas production plants) are currently a major concern in environmental toxicology due to their toxic effects on aquatic and terrestrial life. In order to maintain biodiversity, hydrosphere ecosystems, and people, it is crucial to remove these heavy metals and polluting chemical compounds from the watery environment. In this study, different Nanoparticles (α-Fe_2O_3, CuO, and ZnO) were synthesized by green synthesis method using Portulaca oleracea leaf extract and characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometers, FTIR spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) techniques in order to investigate morphology, composition, and crystalline structure of NPs, these were then used as adsorbent for the removal of As(III), Bi(II), Cd(II), Cr(VI), Mn(II), Mo(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Sb(III), Se(-II), and Zn(II) from wastewater, and removal efficiencies of were obtained 100% under optimal conditions.

João Gonçalves, Jorge Freitas, I. Fernandes et al.

The intensification of agricultural production in response to the global population increase and the growing demand for food has raised significant concerns regarding environmental impacts over the past few decades. Currently, modern agriculture aims to improve the quantity and quality of crop yield, minimizing the negative effects of treatments on the environment. Recently, microalgae have found extensive application as a valuable biological resource across multiple industries, including the food sector, biofuel production, and the pharmaceutical industry. In agriculture, microalgae have been seen as a promising and sustainable alternative to agrochemicals, offering a range of benefits to improve soil fertility, optimize nutrient management, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. In general, microalgae have demonstrated efficient nutrient cycling abilities, assimilating and converting essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, into forms readily available for plants. Additionally, they produce bioactive substances, including phytohormones, which have a direct impact on the physiological processes of plants and promote their growth. Microalgae can also establish beneficial interactions with other soil microorganisms, supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi, thus promoting a healthy soil microbiome. On the other hand, as photosynthetic microorganisms, microalgae harness sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic matter through photosynthesis. This ability allows them to sequester carbon and contribute to sustainable agriculture by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The present work provides an overview of the potential of microalgae as biofertilizers, highlighting their unique characteristics, benefits, and main limitations for effective implementation in agriculturally sustainable practices.

S. Hazrati, Zahra Mousavi, Silvana Nicola

Plant secondary metabolites (SMs) play a crucial role in shielding plants from pathogens and environmental stressors. These natural products find widespread applications across various industries, including pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and healthcare. However, the quantity and quality of these compounds in plants can be influenced by factors such as genetics, morphology, plant age, and the seasonal and daily variations. The timing of harvest holds particular significance for medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) as their active compounds peak at a specific moment during the plant growth cycle. Determining the optimal harvest time is essential to ensure the plants meet their intended cultivation goal. In this review, we analyzed how developmental and external factors impact the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of SMs in MAPs. We examined recent studies on the effects of environmental and developmental factors on SMs of MAPs, compiling relevant data for analysis. The results of this review demonstrate how these factors influence the quantity and quality of plant SMs, underscoring the importance of determining the optimal harvest time (known as the balsamic time) to maximize the utilization of these compounds. Our findings offer crucial insights into the factors affecting SMs, serving as a tool for quality control in MAPs production. Moreover, this review can be a valuable resource for researchers, farmers, and industrial users aiming to optimize plant growth and harvest timing for maximum yield. Overall, our review provides valuable information for devising effective strategies to produce high-quality MAPs products.

Nadia M. Abd, Zainab M. Abbood, Nagham Abbas Mohammed, Osama T. Al-Taai and Wedyan G. Nassif

Acid gas is a type of natural gas or any other gas mixture that contains significant quantities of hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen halides, or similar acidic gases. Acid gases form acidic solutions when dissolved in water. A major cause of acid rain is emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Acid rain refers to a mixture of wet and dry precipitation from the atmosphere that contains more than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. In this study, the data of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) as total precipitation (Tp), as well as the Vertical Column amount of SO2 from the Giovanni Center were adopted. The purpose of the research was to find the relationship between rain and sulfur dioxide in Baghdad, Mosul, and Basra cities for the period (2003-2016). The study was carried out for monthly and annual (or yearly) data variations. To find the correlation strengths of the relationship between Total precipitation (Tp) and sulfur dioxide, the correlation coefficients of Spearman’s rho test (rs) were used. It was found that the relationship between (Tp Vs. CO2) and (Tp Vs. SO2) for Mosul station was inverse and positive, with a value of 0.7 that’s due to sulfur water eyes. Also, CO2 was found throughout all months but with different ratios, where the highest concentration was in 2016 in all the stations.

Hong An, Yu Duan, Shen Liu et al.

Crabapple is an important ornamental tree species. This study analyzed 13 crabapple cultivars, examining pigment composition and content across different stages of development. According to the phenotypic and CIE Lab color system, different crabapple cultivars were clustered and analyzed, and the flower, leaf, and fruit colors of crabapple were divided into different lines. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis showed that cyanidin-3-O-galactoside was the main anthocyanin in crabapple, with higher levels in the deep-red-line variety. Additionally, the petals of the purplish-red-line crabapple were found to contain higher levels of anthocyanins and carotenoids. The red-line leaves of crabapple exhibit high anthocyanin content, which gradually decreases as the leaves turn green. The ratio of carotenoids to chlorophyll was relatively high in yellow leaves. In fruits, the red-line crabapple exhibits the highest percentage of anthocyanins, which are the primary pigment substances. As the fruit changed from red to green, chlorophyll and carotenoids gradually accumulated, while anthocyanin content decreased. In yellow-line fruits, the percentage of carotenoids was relatively high. The results indicated that the color change in crabapple was driven by shifts in the relative proportions of these three pigments. Particularly, the ratio of flavonols was relatively high in the white-line crabapple petals. The ratio of flavanols to flavanones was higher in yellow leaves and fruits. This suggests that flavonols and flavanols act as co-pigments of anthocyanins, enhancing color presentation. Furthermore, crabapple is rich in phenolic compounds, including phloridzin, chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, taxifolin, and epicatechin.

Saroj Burlakoti, A. Devkota, Shital Poudyal et al.

Beneficial microbes are crucial for improving crop adaptation and growth under various stresses. They enhance nutrient uptake, improve plant immune responses, and help plants tolerate stresses like drought, salinity, and heat. The yield potential of any crop is significantly influenced by its associated microbiomes and their potential to improve growth under different stressful environments. Therefore, it is crucial and exciting to understand the mechanisms of plant–microbe interactions. Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the primary staple foods worldwide, in addition to wheat and rice. Maize is also an industrial crop globally, contributing 83% of its production for use in feed, starch, and biofuel industries. Maize requires significant nitrogen fertilization to achieve optimal growth and yield. Maize plants are highly susceptible to heat, salinity, and drought stresses and require innovative methods to mitigate the harmful effects of environmental stresses and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. This review summarizes our current understanding of the beneficial interactions between maize plants and specific microbes. These beneficial microbes improve plant resilience to stress and increase productivity. For example, they regulate electron transport, downregulate catalase, and upregulate antioxidants. We also review the roles of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in enhancing stress tolerance in maize. Additionally, we explore the application of these microbes in maize production and identify major knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to utilize the potential of beneficial microbes fully.

Han Gao, Yifan Zhang, Hongxing Shi

N. A. Hemali and A. A. P. De Alwis

The study’s findings serve as a crucial foundation for policymakers, environmentalists, and stakeholders to take necessary actions and develop sustainable waste management strategies tailored to the specific challenges faced in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, contributing to broader global efforts to mitigate the growing waste crisis. It’s a significant concern that the volume of waste is expected to triple by 2050, and the current waste management practices seem insufficient to handle this growth sustainably. The study indicates a per capita waste generation of 0.43 kg in Sri Lanka, with the Western Province at a higher rate of 0.53 kg. This data points to the urgency of addressing waste management practices in this region, especially considering its significance in the country’s GDP. The results also show that the total municipal waste generation in the Western Province is 3248 kg per day whereas the recovery is only 25% (803 kg) in terms of recycling and composting. Burning, burying, and open dumping are highlighted as other prevailing practices for managing waste, which have adverse impacts on the environment and public health. Further research is recommended to identify and address these unaccounted waste streams, especially those at the household level.

Holger Braun, Dorothee Apfel, Benedikt Rilling et al.

Reducing peat consumption in hobby gardening offers considerable potential for reducing CO2 emissions, since peatlands are one of the most important natural carbon sinks. While existing research focuses on the products and their diffusion, we focus on people and their practices of gardening. So we conducted 44 interviews with hobby gardeners in Germany from three different contexts: gardening at home, in an allotment garden, and in an urban gardening initiative. Our findings show that substrates are not a major part of gardeners' social interactions. Purchasing substrates is a utility-driven process with, compared to gardening itself, mostly passive information behavior. Although (basic) knowledge about peat is widespread among hobby gardeners, price is the dominant purchase criterion for substrates; sustainability does not play an important role. Our results suggest that communication campaigns by governments and companies should convey substrate-related messages in those places where gardeners go to seek information, e.g. gardening-related publications. Communication should focus on the functional value of peat-free substrates and not just explain environmental benefits. Lastly, campaigns should target home gardeners rather than urban gardeners and allotment gardeners who rarely buy any substrates but rely on their own production.

Tri Candra Setiawati, Mohammad Nurcholis, Basuki Basuki et al.

The eruption of Mount Semeru at the end of 2021 was responsible for emitting volcanic ash with specific characteristics. These unique mineralogy and chemical properties have both positive and negative effects on soil fertility, as excessive heavy metals adversely affect soil, plants, and the environment. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the distribution of volcanic ash cover from the eruption of Mount Semeru and investigate elemental composition as well as mineral characteristics of volcanic ash and soil covered by volcanic ash. The investigation was carried out in Supiturang village, Pronojiwo District, Lumajang, East Java, Indonesia. Sampling was carried out following the toposequence method, covering agricultural land within approximately ± 15 km from Mount Semeru. Pure volcanic ash was collected at sites not contaminated with soil. At the site location, it was found that the depth of volcanic ash cover ranged from “thin” (<2 cm) to “very thick” (>10 cm). The results of SEM and XRD analyses showed that of the pure volcanic ash contained quartz (50%), rock fragments (15%), plagioclase (12%), hornblende (10%), opaque (8%), and pyroxene (5%) minerals. The results of XRF analysis showed that the dominant elements in volcanic ash and soil were silica (Si), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), and potassium (K). Several non-essential heavy metal elements found were Pb, Sn, and As, while rare minerals discovered were Y, Nb, Eu, and Yb at relatively low concentrations. The SEM analysis showed the structure of volcanic ash dominated by prismatic and blocky.

Eggy Arya Giofandi, Boedi Tjahjono, Latief Mahir Rachman

Over the past few years, numerous urban areas have been identified in floodplains and coastal regions. These areas should be repurposed as water storage zones to enhance surface water infiltration. The escalating demand for land in flat areas adds complexity to the susceptibility of urban areas to flood hazards. The observation focuses on understanding how land use change influences urban flood susceptibility assessment. Several aspects assumed to have a significant relationship with the flood phenomenon include the impact of land use change, environmental health impact, modification of land typology, explanation of urban flooding, appropriate model for flood-prone assessment, current state of research, appropriate steps in decision-making in susceptibility areas, and challenges of the scenario-based flood-prone mapping model in the future. Additionally, the assessment aspect should consider the impact of land degradation resulting from land use change. Integrated measures are necessary to guide future studies aimed at improving ecological quality and restoring environmental health. The availability of free and open-source datasets facilitates conducting studies to support decision-making both locally and regionally.

Muhammad Wasil Bin Abu Bakar, M. K. Uddin, Susilawati Kasim, Syaharudin Zaibon, S. M. Shamsuzzaman, A. N. A. Haque and A. Reza

Biochar can be a good soil amendment to reduce the soil pH, increase crop growth rate, and improve the efficient use of fertilizer. Other than that, silicon fertilizer also would promote photosynthetic ability on plant development that would help to produce high yield. In this work, a series of experiments was conducted to observe the effect of rice husk biochar and silicon fertilizer on the maize growth rate and soil pH. A 45-day pot experiment in the greenhouse with three replicates of 9 experimental treatment combinations of RHB at two rates (5 and 2.5 t.ha-1) with silicon fertilizer at three rates (125%, 100%, 75%), sole biochar (10 t.ha-1), sole silicon fertilizer (100%) and control (NPK) to observe the best rate and combination to improve growth rate and change in soil chemical in acid soil. The result showed that the co-application of sole biochar and biochar with Silicon significantly improved growth development, increased photosynthesis rate, altered soil pH, and reduced Fe concentration compared to control. The plant height increased 88.35% from T4 (5 t.ha-1 RHB + 100% Si) compared to the control and the conductance was higher in T4 (0.53) followed by T8 (0.438) while T1 (0.071) recorded the lowest conductance. The shoot fresh weight was higher in T4 (127.83 g) followed by T8 (57.14 g). However, the weight increased by 343.7% at T4 followed by T8 (2.5 t.ha-1 RHB + 75% Si) at 98.33%. The highest pH increment of 1.24 units (T1 = 5.53, T4 = 6.77) of soil pH was noted from T4 (5 t.ha-1 RHB + 100% Si) compared to control (NPK), and the highest total Fe in soil was observed from T1 (442.30 mg.kg-1). The current study results showed that T4 (50% RHB + 100% Silicon) was the best treatment over the other rates of RHB and silicon increased plant height, photosynthetic rate, and biomass.

Didi Nuryadin, Mohammad Nurcholis, Gita Astyka Rahmanda and Indra Wahyu Pratama

This study aims to optimize the development of aviation biofuel as a sustainable energy source by simulating system dynamics modeling. This study is based on the System Dynamics modeling approach, which is a set of conceptual tools designed to understand the structure and dynamics of complex systems. This study used the system dynamics method specifically designed to analyze complex systems. It has been applied to various sustainability-related issues, including urban area sustainable development modeling, sustainability of water resources, environmental management, and sustainable urbanization. The result obtained using the quantitative modeling showed that the contribution of aviation biofuel to flight intensity in Indonesia is still insignificant. The practical implications of this study are that palm oil has the potential to be a viable raw material for aviation biofuel production in Indonesia, and implementing policies to mitigate negative consequences and optimize land use for aviation biofuel fuel production can contribute to sustainable urban development. The originality of this study lies in its use of System Dynamics modeling to analyze the potential of palm oil as a raw material for aviation biofuel production and identify the various social, economic, environmental, and technological factors that impact it.

J. Marchant-Forde, L. Boyle

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights that we exist in a global community. From a single city, it spread to 188 countries across the world and infected 30 million people by September 18, 2020. Decades of modeling pandemics predicted potential consequences, but COVID-19's impact on the food supply chain, and specifically livestock production was unexpected. Clusters of cases among workers in meat processing plants evolved quickly to affect human, animal, and environmental welfare in several countries. In processing plants, the hygiene focus is on product quality and food safety. Because of their close proximity to one another, COVID-19 spread rapidly between workers and the lack of sick leave and health insurance likely resulted in workers continuing to work when infectious. In the United States (U.S.) many processing plants shut down when they identified major outbreaks, putting pressure especially on pig and poultry industries. At one point, there was a 45% reduction in pig processing capacity meaning about 250,000 pigs per day were not slaughtered. This resulted in longer transport distances to plants in operation with extra capacity, but also to crowding of animals on farm. Producers were encouraged to slow growth rates, but some had to cull animals on farm in ways that likely included suffering and caused considerable upset to owners and workers. Carcass disposal was also associated with potential biosecurity risks and detrimental effects on the environment. Hence, this is a One Welfare issue, affecting human, animal, and environmental welfare and highlighting the fragility of intensive, high-throughput livestock production systems. This model needs to be re-shaped to include the animal, human, and environmental elements across the farm to fork chain. Such a One Welfare approach will ensure that food production systems are resilient, flexible, and fair in the face of future challenges.