Hasil untuk "Environmental effects of industries and plants"

Momon Sodik Imanudin, Bakri Bakri, Muh. Bambang Prayitno et al.

Peatlands have a hydrological function, providing water, controlling floods and weather conditions, and regulating chemical and biological processes in the soil. Among the most important hydrological parameters indicating peatland damage are soil hydraulic conductivity (Ks), bulk density, and porosity. This study aimed to determine the diversity of soil hydraulic conductivity values in peatlands reclaimed for agriculture. Soil sampling was carried out in the peatlands of Perigi Village, included in the Sugihan-Saleh KHG (Peat Hydrological Area). The Ks measurement method in the laboratory uses the constant head method. The research results showed that the vertical permeability coefficient (kv) was 50.21-52.63 cm/h and the horizontal permeability coefficient (kh) was 113.2 cm/h. Spatial variations did not show significant differences, and the Ks value relative to the distance to the drainage channel shows the same inhibiting value of 50.21-52.63 cm/h. Soil porosity values ranged from 92.10 to 95.34%, and soil bulk weights ranged from 0.12 to 0.23 g/cm3. This condition shows that horizontal water movement is very fast and this causes a rapid decrease in the water level if the land is opened up by building channels. Therefore, assessing damage to peatland also determines the number of land drainage networks that have been built. To control the groundwater level so that it does not fall quickly and in accordance with the compliance figure of 40 cm, the construction of canal blocking is absolutely necessary in the drainage system in agricultural and plantation areas.

A. Patil, S. Devi, Y. Sharma, S. Singh, N. K. Prabhakar, S. Agrawal and Mamta Arya

Manganese (Mn) contamination in groundwater is a global concern due to its harmful effects. The high concentration of Mn2+ in humans creates memory issues, decreased fertility, appetite loss, sleeplessness, sperm abnormalities, and ‘Manganism’. In this study, the isolation of thermophiles was followed by their assessment for MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and Mn bioremediation. We have isolated a total of 11 Mn-resistant bacterial strains of thermophiles with the identification of their bioremediation potential from the Tapt Kund, Soldhar, and Gauri Kund hot springs of Uttarakhand, India. Out of 11 strains, three isolates (TA8, SA9, and GA7) were identified with the highest metal resistance properties for toxic Mn2+. The metal tolerance capabilities of the strains were evaluated through MIC and the metal biosorption rate was estimated by the live cells bioremediation through thermophilic bacteria. ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) was used to assess the Mn2+ removal rate of bacterial bioremediation. It turned out that every strain exhibited promising bioremediation potential and proved Mn-resistant. The bacterial strain TA8 exhibits the highest MIC (600 µg.L-1.) with a bioremediation rate of 98.34% for Mn2+. The bacterial strain SA9 has a MIC value of 525 µg.L-1, with a biosorption rate of 77.74% for Mn2+. The bacterial strain GA7 has a MIC of 475 µg.L-1, with an efficiency rate of 61.17% for Mn2+ removal. The most promising strain of thermophilic bacteria for Mn2+ bioremediation is the TA8, which has demonstrated the highest potential (98.34%) out of all the tested strains. The findings may have public health implications, as reducing manganese levels in groundwater can help mitigate health risks associated with Mn exposure. Also, this research enriches our knowledge of microbial bioremediation and its potential applications in environmental management. Ultimately, this research could offer a novel, economical, and environmentally beneficial approach to managing metal toxicity

Haji Yazdeen, Takunda Y. Chitaka, Regis Pommier et al.

Forestry is a vital part of natural systems and has traditionally supplied renewable raw materials for industrial uses and domestic fuelwood. Life Cycle Assessment has become one of the most recognized and internationally accepted method for examining the environmental performance of forest products and processes. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the potential environmental impact associated with different commercial outputs of maritime pine wood (construction wood, pallets, plywood, pellets, unbleached (UB) pulpwood) from the Landes de Gascogne forest. The study showed that pulpwood presented the highest values in all the evaluated impact categories including climate change whilst pellets presented the lowest values. Maritime pine from the first thinning was the hotspot in the construction wood production process, while the nails presented the hotspot for the pallet production process. In the plywood production process, melamine formaldehyde resin was the highest contributor to environmental impacts. Maritime pine from the first thinning was also the hotspot in pellet production whilst heat from steam was the hotspot in UB pulp production. The results of this comprehensive assessment can be used to support environmentally sound decision-making for forest and factory management with regard to the beneficiation of wood.

Aminul Islam, Krishna Kishore Satapathy, Sushil Kumar Kothari, Biswajit Ghosh and Shankha Koley

Renewable energy has been of prime importance in the present era in meeting energy demand across all sectors. To meet this demand, solar energy has become a plausible option among scientists to reduce the fossil fuel effect and find an alternative solution. The main concern about large renewable energy installations on open land, mostly used for agricultural practices, is that they can displace different land uses and instigate the feed vs. fuel controversy in the long run. The current study reviewed the installation of solar panels on farmland’s benefits and challenges. The present study also reviewed the effect of solar panels on agricultural crop microclimate, soil, water condition, and crop growth and yields. Crop production and solar PV electricity generation from the same land space have numerous benefits, such as improving land productivity, reducing irrigation, managing soil, protecting crops from adverse climatic conditions (heat, frost, rainfall, etc.), increasing PV panel efficiency, and meeting house and farm electricity needs. Fewer demerits of agrivoltaics are to be studied in the future, such as keeping a suitable crop cycle, limited crop suitability, high expenses, and a lack of technical expertise. A big change to meet future energy demand without much impact on the environment is the dual use of open land for crop production and solar energy generation. To maximize crop yield, the impact of solar panels on crop yields has not been studied for numerous crops. We found that the optimum arrangement of solar panels admits varying levels of solar radiation according to crop needs. Sustainable agriculture and efficient solar energy generation can be possible in the same field by perfecting shade design and selecting suitable crops.

Stefanie Hölbling, Gottfried Kirchengast, Christian Briese et al.

Energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from high-performance computing (HPC) and high-volume data storage (HDS) strongly increased over recent years. This contrasts with the need for emission reductions to halt global warming in line with the Paris climate goals, calling for ambitious action also for these energy-intensive services. Here we focus on options for institutional users that aim at professional institutional climate action management, where the quantification of emissions from HPC and HDS as part of emission inventories is still rare. We present methods and results of a case study, drawing from HPC/HDS usage data of a collaborative consortium project of data centers and Universities in Austria, where institution-level quantifications of energy use and related GHG emissions were obtained.We find emissions from HPC use strongly dominating, relative to HDS use, for individual institutions and in total; case-study operational emissions summed to about 300–500 tCO2eq annually from HPC while HDS emissions were near 3 tCO2eq; co-estimated embodied emissions sum up to 50 to 100 and 3 to 10 tCO2eq, respectively. Building on the results, the collaboration of data centers and users enabled to derive also more general climate action options, including provider-user synergies. Provider improvements on energy savings, efficiency, shift to renewable sources and transparency to users on energy sources and consumption can meet with deliberate user choice of genuinely “green” data centers and user skill advances in “green coding”, “smart avoidance” of inefficient computations and considerate HDS management. Our findings underpin that providers and users jointly need to bring energy use and emissions under control to help meet the Paris climate goals.

Lihong Hao, Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva, Xiaonan Yu

Flowering represents a significant transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, with floral bud development being crucial for the life cycle of ornamental plants. Despite advances in model plants, the molecular regulatory mechanisms governing floral bud development in the perennial ornamental bulbous plant genus Fritillaria L remain unclear. In this study, we defined the exact developmental stages of the flower bud of Fritillaria pallidiflora and comprehensively analyzed gene expression patterns associated with floral bud development. Based on the morphological observations of paraffin sections, the process of floral bud differentiation in F. pallidiflora was classified into six distinct stages: the undifferentiated phase (S0), bract primordium differentiation phase (S1), floral primordium formation phase (S2), petal primordium differentiation phase (S3), stamen primordium differentiation phase (S4), and pistil primordium differentiation phase (S5). Transcriptomic analysis of samples (F1, F2, and F3) from three representative developmental stages (S1, S3, and S5), identified a total of 74,353 unigenes, of which 34,288 were functionally annotated as protein-coding genes. Across the three stages, a total of 3402 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, among which only nine genes exhibited differential expression consistently at all three stages. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of the 1886 DEGs revealed that 44 unigenes potentially related to floral bud differentiation were identified, including seven genes associated with circadian rhythm, eight genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, 11 genes related to plant hormones, seven genes related to temperature, and 11 transcription factors, which can serve as candidate genes for studying floral bud development in Fritillaria. Collectively, these findings provide a valuable collection of gene expression patterns that are characteristic of floral bud differentiation in F. pallidiflora, which may lay a foundation for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of flowering time and facilitating molecular breeding in Fritillaria species, contributing to elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that regulate floral bud development in other perennial bulbous plants.

P. Muthukrishnan and R. Krishna Sharma

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the pollutants that can cause potential damage to the ecosystem. NO2 emitted from vehicles forms the primary precursor for ground-level ozone. In this study, an analysis of the daily average of NO2 concentration with meteorology measured for two years 2021 and 2022 is being carried out. It is evident from the analysis that NO2 concentration followed an apparent diurnal pattern with a maximum value in the morning hours and a minimum during the afternoon hours. Summer months recorded the highest, and North East Monsoon (NEM) recorded the lowest values of NO2. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between NO2 and Temperature. An autoregressive model was formulated to forecast the daily average values of NO2 concentration. Unit root test was performed to check the stationarity of the data points, which is important in determining trends and seasonal changes. From the model procedure, the order that best fits the data was identified as AR (4), in which the process has the current value based on the previous three values. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Schwartz Criterion (SC), which are estimators of prediction error for AR (4), are low. The Jarque confirmed the normal distribution-Bera test, which again approves the satisfactoriness of the model.

Ozge Turut

Consumers are interested in sustainable products but they exhibit wariness about their efficacy resulting in a reluctance to purchase. Consumers perceive a high level functional risk in utilitarian benefits sustainable alternatives can provide. For that reason, communication strategy is essential for the success of new sustainable products. We analytically investigate the optimal pre-launch communication strategy and specifically, explore the role of third party reviews of new sustainable products. Before launching its new sustainable product, a firm can reach out an expert or an influencer to test it and write an honest review which informs consumers about the green product's quality in the traditional performance dimension. The firm cannot interfere with the content of the review, but can affect the degree of its informativeness by its investment level in pre-launch communication. We find that pre-launch communication is always profitable, but the optimal level of informativeness can be short of full revelation depending on the market conditions. Based on our results, we make suggestions to both firms and policy makers, which will help reduce the green attitude-behavior gap. Then, we investigate how the availability of pre-launch communication via third party testing and reviewing affects firms' sustainability strategy decision. Our analysis reveals that, depending on the market characteristics, the presence of pre-launch communication may encourage firms to be bolder in their sustainability initiatives and engage in high environmental impact strategies without concerning to preserve the conventional functional performance, or conversely, make them more risk averse and pursue mediocre environmental impact strategies with strong caution about the conventional functional performance.

Javier Ávila-Román, J. R. Soliz-Rueda, Francisca Isabel Bravo et al.

Abstract Background Phenolic compounds are one of the most heterogeneous group of plant secondary metabolites with over 50,000 diverse molecules identified so far. Despite the low bioavailability of native forms, they have been shown to exert several beneficial effects against chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. There are different factors that may affect their absorption and distribution in tissues, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Recently, the time of the day and the season of the year in which they are consumed have emerged as another factor that may significantly impact on their metabolism and bioactivities. Scope and approach This review emphasizes the importance of the interaction between phenolic compounds and biological rhythms and its impact on the bioactivities of these metabolites. This may have implications for the food industry as food rich in phenolic compounds may exert different effects depending on the time of consumption. Key findings and conclusions Phenolic compounds broad activity could be explained by their extensive transformation, including metabolization in the colon by the gut microbiota, which leads to the production of multitude of different metabolites. Biological rhythms play a significant role in this metabolism affecting their bioactivities and, at the same time, phenolic compounds may exert their effects by promoting homeostasis at a basal signalling level through interactions with the biological clock system. This is in accordance with the xenohormesis hypothesis, which explains that chemical cues synthetized by plants are able to allow animals to favourably adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Shanjian Li, Guotao Cui, Panfeng Wu and Yang Feng

Localized corrosion is a serious, hazardous destroyer of steel petroleum pipelines meant for long-time use. However, previous studies on localized corrosion primarily focused on local corrosion morphology and corrosion rate of bulk metals because detecting the corrosion state of occlusive metals is difficult. Herein, we employ a simulating occluded battery unit to disclose the local corrosion behavior of the steel petroleum pipeline (N80 steel) in an occlusive S2–-enriched solution. After simulating localized corrosion in the S2–- containing corrosion solution using the occluded battery unit, the occlusive solution was acidified and the migration amount of S2– to the occluded area increased. Despite the increase of S2– concentration, the addition of quinoline corrosion inhibitor (0.8 wt%) still effectively impedes the corrosion of the occluded metal. Moderately raising the environmental temperature can stimulate the activity of the inhibitor and promote the inhibition effect. The quinoline corrosion inhibitor displays the maximum inhibition rate at an elevated temperature of 50°C. Meanwhile, a maximum over the temperature of 60°C-70°C will likely accelerate the failure of the inhibitor.

K. Haroon, J. Kherb, C. Jeyaseelan and M. Sen

Pollutants like arsenic, chromium, or other toxic heavy metals have the most dreadful impact on humans or animals and also become a threat worldwide. Introducing these contaminants into the environment is not just due to the chemical industry but also coexists in combined form in underground rocks, contaminating groundwater during breakdown. Epidemics are now largely blamed on toxic pollution in many different nations worldwide. The issue has gotten worse in underdeveloped nations, where metal contamination of the groundwater affects more than a million people. Different techniques are used to remove toxic pollutants from water, but most are expensive and energy intensive. Adsorption is preferable for removing contaminants such as heavy metals or chemical dyes. As nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be more effective as nanocomposites, we used an adsorbent of nanomaterial to use the adsorption approach. These materials have become more well-liked because of their useful applications and improved characteristics. Magnetic synthesized nanocomposites have magnetic properties, which become beneficial for adsorption as it enhances adsorption capacity. The insertion of the plant or aggregate waste material for nanocomposite synthesis inhibits the growth of bacteria or other microorganisms, preventing the material from getting infected if it is in the environment. In this review paper, we have focused on the green synthesis of nanomaterials used for water treatment.

B. Gajdzik, R. Wolniak

The publication presents a picture of modern steelworks that is evolving from steelworks 3.0 to steelworks 4.0. The paper was created on the basis of secondary sources of information (desk research). The entire publication concerns the emerging opportunities for the development of the steel producers to Industry 4.0 and the changes already implemented in the steel plants. The collected information shows the support environment for changes in the steel sector (EU programs), the levels of evolution of steel mills, along with the areas of change in the steel industry and implemented investment projects. The work consists of a theoretical part based on a literature review and a practical part based on case studies. The work ends with a discussion in which the staged and segmented nature of the changes introduced in the analyzed sector is emphasized. Based on the three case studies described in the paper, a comparative analysis was conducted between them. When we tried to compare methods used in the three analyzed steel producers (capital groups): ArcelorMittal, Thyssenkrupp, and Tata Steel Group, it can be seen that in all organizations, the main problem connected with steelworks 4.0 transition is the digitalization of all processes within an organization and in the entire supply chain. This is realized using various tools and methods but they are concentrated on using technologies and methods such as artificial intelligence, drones, virtual reality, full automatization, and industrial robots. The effects are connected to better relations with customers, which leads to an increase in customer satisfaction and the organizations’ profit. The steel industry will undergo further strong changes, bringing it closer to Industry 4.0 because it occupies an important place in the economies of many countries due to the strong dependence of steel producers on the markets of the recipients (steel consumers). Steel is the basic material needed to make many products, and its properties have been valued for centuries. In addition, steel mills with positive economic, social, and environmental aspects are part of the concept of sustainability for industries and economies.

N. Qin, Yuanyuan Zhu, Yan Zhong et al.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene isomers (BTEX) have raised increasing concern due to their adverse effects on human health. In this study, a coking factory and four communities nearby were selected as the research area. Atmospheric BTEX samples were collected and determined by a preconcentrator GC–MS method. Four biomarkers in the morning urine samples of 174 participants from the communities were measured by LC–MS. The health risks of BTEX exposure via inhalation were estimated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of external BTEX exposure on the internal biomarker levels and quantitatively evaluate the health risk of populations near the coking industry. The results showed that the average total BTEX concentration in residential area was 7.17 ± 7.24 μg m−3. Trans,trans-muconic acid (T,T-MA) was the urinary biomarker with the greatest average level (127 ± 285 μg g−1 crt). Similar spatial trends can be observed between atmospheric benzene concentration and internal biomarker levels. The mean values of the LCR for male and female residents were 2.15 × 10−5 and 2.05 × 10−5, respectively. The results of the risk assessment indicated that special attention was required for the non-occupational residents around the area.

A. Pomortsev, N. Dorofeev, S. Adamovich et al.

In order to manage field crop production, reduce the negative impact of abiotic factors, and increase productivity and product quality, the modern agricultural industry uses chemical compounds analogous to endogenous phytohormones. Some of these substances are physiologically valuable due to their capability to improve the resistance of plants to adverse environmental factors. The increased interest in such preparations can be attributed to their low cost and effectiveness at low concentrations. The effect of a protatrane mixture (a, b, c) on changes in the physiological parameters (growth characteristics; water status) of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied at low concentrations (10−6 and 10−9 g/L) under chloride salinity conditions. The plants were grown under laboratory conditions in a CLF PlantClimatics chamber, in which untreated and chemically treated spring wheat seeds were evaluated for changes in morphological and physiological parameters under salt stress conditions (150 mM NaCl). The analysis of obtained data revealed that protatranes have a positive effect on the morphometric parameters and water status of plants under chloride salinity conditions. Thus, the examined substances decrease the inhibition of growth processes under chloride salinity conditions. The treatment of seeds with the studied substances increases the tissue water content while decreasing the osmotic potential drop in leaves and roots. Irrespective of the mix ratio, protatranes help to improve the plant water status and mitigate the negative effects of chloride salinity on plant growth.

Jitendra Pandey, Lav Singh, Gauri Saxena et al.

Shiferaw Alem, Adane Dinku

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of area exclosure established in a degraded area with moisture harvesting structures (EX-SWC) relative to the adjacent exclosure area without moisture harvesting structures (EX) in restoring the woody plants. Vegetation data from a total of 30 plots that has an area of 20 m x 20 m, in the EX-SWC and the adjacent EX area were collected, independently. The density of trees and seedlings, diversity, vegetation structure and Importance Value Index (IVI) were analysed. Pearson’s correlation was also used for the data analysis. The Shannon diversity index was 1.6 and 1.57 in the EX-SWC and EX area, respectively. The relative density of trees (578 stems/ha) and seedlings (1530 stems/ha) in the EX-SWC area were relatively higher than the relative density of trees (466 stems/ha) and seedlings (1202 stems/ha) in the adjacent EX area. There was no significant relationship between the number of moisture harvesting structures established in each plot and the relative density of seedlings per plot (p <0.05, R2=0.18). The relative density of seedlings at the lower height classes (1 – 60 cm) in the EX-SWC area was relatively higher than the adjacent EX area. The IVI result for most of the recorded species in the EX-SWC area was also relatively higher than in the EX area. The overall results showed that the implemented moisture harvesting structures facilitated the regeneration of woody plants in the degraded area. Therefore, we recommend implementing soil and water conservation structures in degraded area restoration projects to facilitate the regeneration of woody plants.

O. J. Oyebode and J. A. Otoko

Pollution of the environment and inappropriate management of medical wastes are major challenges facing developing countries and this must be tackled with recent technology for public health, enhanced natural ecosystems, and a better environment. This research is a two-step process that involves the assessment of the existing Hospital waste management practices in a multi-system Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Excess air, kerosene (auxiliary fuel), single chamber, Batch-fed (Manual feeding), and controlled air incinerator were designed. Wastes were loaded once at the beginning of the combustion cycle followed by combustion, ash burnout, cool down, and ash removal to assist medical waste management. Findings revealed that personnel involved in handling medical waste were equipped with inadequate protective gear. Medical waste was handled together with municipal waste and both wastes were incinerated in an open dumpsite without engineered sanitary landfill at disposal locations constituting a nuisance with a high risk of pollution to the surrounding environment. The incinerator was designed for a waste load of 269 kg.day-1. It consists of four zones; the waste and combustion zone (2.7 m × 1.8 m × 1 m), the ash zone (0.23 m height), the combustion fumes and one-second retention zone (0.43 m height) as well as the excess air zone (0.46 m height). This low-cost medical waste incinerator has a lot of improvement, operational effectiveness, and efficiency to the currently available techniques. Viable recommendations made will improve the state of environmental health and reduce the harmful effects of medical waste.

Panagiotis Tsarouhas, Ioannis Papachristos

This study investigates the impact of ouzo production on the environment. Its novelty lies in the fact that it is the first study which focuses on the consequences that anise beverages production has on the environment. To carry out the study, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was used and fifteen subsystems of the total production were investigated. The impact categories selected were global warming, acidification, eutrophication and photochemical oxidation. The production process significantly affects all four phenomena (with percentages of 63.58%, 43.53%, 10.09% and 17.31% respectively) and similarly does the subsystem of grape cultivation (with percentages of 8.88%, 22.84%, 27.12% and 30.82% respectively). Another subsystem seriously affecting these phenomena is the production/transportation of glass bottles (with percentages of 18.05%, 15.13%, 7.61% and 41.55% respectively). Moreover, an interesting result is that the ouzo production process has a higher environmental impact than the wine production process, as they have similar stages of their life cycle. It is vital certain measures be applied. Initially the use of renewable sources of energy such as solar power. Furthermore, the recycling of glass bottles and the use of bottles from other materials. Also, the use of alternative cultivation methods such as biodynamic and organic. These measures will be effective if combined with “green” maintenance policies by companies. The findings of this research can be a useful tool for industries to focus on the stages with the highest contribution to environmental pollution and minimize it.

Jianjun Chen

Fahruddin Fahruddin, Nursiah La Nafie, Asadi Abdullah et al.

Acid mine drainage can pollute the environment because it is acidic and contains toxic heavy metals. The purpose of this research was the application of a bacterial consortium to remove sulfate and reduce heavy metal lead (Pb) in acid mine drainage. The application was done in the bioreactor for acid mine drainage treatment that was treated with compost. Observations were made every five days and included observation of total bacterial growth using the Standard Plate Count (SPC) method, determination of sulfate content by gravimetry, determination of pH by use of pH meter, and determination of the concentration of heavy metal Pb using the AAS method. As a result, it was obtained that the treatment of non-sterile compost in acid mine drainage was able to reduce the initial heavy metal concentration of Pb of 84% and reduce the sulfate content by 72%, along with increasing pH and an increase in total bacterial growth. Meanwhile, sterile compost treatment was only able to reduce the Pb content by 63% and sulfate by 54%. This result indicates that the addition of compost is more effective than the treatment of sterile compost.