Hasil untuk "Environmental effects of industries and plants"

Asish Kumar Parida, Anath Bandhu Das

Quan Gan, Jiawen Cui, Biao Jin

Mahmud Rifai, Julia Checco, Risti Permani

As the global emphasis on sustainability grows, understanding consumer behaviour towards certified products is vital for promoting responsible consumption practices. This study investigates Indonesian consumers' preferences, awareness, and willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainability-certified coffee. Utilising data from an online survey of 558 coffee consumers, a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) was conducted to assess WTP for three key attributes: sustainable labels (Grown Respectfully, Rainforest Alliance, and Common Code for the Coffee Community, also known as 4C), coffee types (Robusta and Arabica), and price. The mixed logit model estimation reveals a significant willingness to pay a premium for certified coffee despite generally low consumer preference and awareness. Among the sustainability labels, the Grown Respectfully label commands the highest WTP, with consumers willing to pay 28.50 % more than for the Rainforest Alliance label and 35.13 % more than for the 4C label. Coffee producers can use these findings to refine their strategies by prioritising transparent labelling and compelling narratives about sustainability, which can enhance consumer engagement, appeal to a range of income buyers, and provide a competitive edge in a market increasingly focused on sustainability.

Tien Aminatun, Budiwati Budiwati, Suhartini Suhartini et al.

Artisanal gold mining activities in Indonesia often cause mercury (Hg) pollution, which is toxic and bioaccumulative. Phytoremediation using Pteris vittata L. as a hyperaccumulator and rhizobacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTKP1 is an alternative to overcome this problem. This study aimed to analyze the effect of combined treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTKP1 induction and compost on the ability of Pteris vittata L. to accumulate Hg in gold mine tailings. The treatment consisted of bacterial induction without compost, and with compost at a tailings:compost ratios of 1:1 and 2:1. This study used descriptive and quantitative analyses. The results showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTKP1 induction without compost resulted in the highest reduction in Hg levels in the tailings, from 10.7 mg/kg to 0.00467 mg/kg with a medium-high BCF value and TF <1, indicating a phytostabilization mechanism. However, the addition of compost reduced the effectiveness of bioaccumulation. Hence, treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa RTKP1 without compost was most effective in increasing the ability of Pteris vittata L. to reduce mercury content.

Annas Vijaya, Faris Dzaudan Qadri, Linda Salma Angreani et al.

This study proposes ESGOnt, an ontology-based framework that aligns Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) management with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ESGOnt addresses key challenges in sustainable resource governance systems and cross-sector interoperability by providing a unified structure for ESG and SDG integration. The framework was developed through a systematic methodology that combines a literature review, standardization of ESG and SDG relationships, development of an adaptable maturity model, and ontology implementation using established methods such as Methontology and NeOn. ESGOnt enables the integration of diverse ESG taxonomies and ESG reporting standards, including GRI and ESRS, and assists companies in their ESG performance evaluation. Empirical validation through real-world use cases demonstrates its capability to (1) direct assessment of ESG assessments with specific SDG targets, such as SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), (2) assess organizational ESG progress through different metrics, (3) facilitation of standardized and interoperable reporting for small and large enterprises, and (4) automatically validate organization compliance with EU Non-Financial Reporting Directive regulations. The findings show that ESGOnt resolves data inconsistency and transparency issues by enabling integrated and auditable sustainability reporting. The ontology-driven approach of the framework enables scalable and policy-relevant tools for tracking environmental and social impacts, while its maturity model focuses on strategic improvements in resource efficiency. Future studies will analyze and extend ESGOnt’s functionality for sector-specific capabilities, such as bioeconomy control systems, and explore advanced AI-driven inspection methods for real-time ESG-SDG assessment.

M Sasi, Sawant Sushant Anil, Dhanjit Deka

Soil erosion occurs gradually when the impact of water or wind detaches and removes soil particles, causing the soil to deteriorate. Because of its adverse effects on biomass and economic production, soil degradation is a worldwide environmental issue. It has a wide-ranging impact on agricultural land and reservoir sedimentation, with disastrous consequences. The Upper Suvarnavathy (Honhole) river basin, Chamarajanagar district, a southern tributary of the Cauvery River of Karnataka, India, was studied to estimate average annual soil loss for a period of 63 years. Remote sensing and GIS approaches combined with the RUSLE model were employed to estimate the soil loss in the study area. To anticipate sheet and rill erosion, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model considers various factors, such as precipitation (rain) erosivity, soil erodibility, topographic factor, cropping management factor, and support practice factor. The study revealed that the soil erosion in the study area ranges between 0 to 6208.875 t ha?1, and the average has been estimated to be 522.30 t ha?1. This research also determined which RUSLE factor has played a significant role in soil degradation in the study area. The findings will undoubtedly aid in implementing soil management and conservation practices in critical erosion areas in this basin.

An The Huynh, Yi-Ching Chen

This study aimed to assess the capacity of Bidens pilosa L. to absorb heavy metals, specifically arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), in contaminated soil environments, with the goal of laying a foundation for applying phytoremediation techniques to remediate agricultural soils polluted with heavy metals in Vietnam. The findings indicate that B. pilosa L. can thrive in soils contaminated with heavy metals at concentrations up to 700 mg/kg. Additionally, the absorption rates in the roots, stems, and leaves of B. pilosa L. were substantial. At a concentration of 700 mg/kg As, the absorption rates were 66.53% in roots, 20.45% in stems, and 13.03% in leaves. For Pb, at the same concentration, the absorption was 64.41% in roots, 21.27% in stems, and 14.32% in leaves. Moreover, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) further support the plant's potential. The BCF for As decreased from 0.123 at 0 mg/kg to 0.023 at 700 mg/kg, while the BCF for Pb showed a similar trend, ranging from 0.017 to 0.023 across increasing concentrations. The TF for As dropped from 1.202 at 100 mg/kg to 0.503 at 700 mg/kg, while the TF for Pb ranged from 0.959 to 0.552, indicating limited translocation of metals from roots to aerial parts at higher contamination levels. These results suggest that B. pilosa L. is a promising candidate for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with arsenic and lead, thanks to its ability to accumulate these metals predominantly in its roots, thereby limiting their movement to stems and leaves.

Ahmed S. Dabo, Albert Linton Charles

This study applied the Psychosocial Norms Approach (PNA) to examine Gambian consumers’ beliefs regarding consumption of functional foods (FFs), which contain health-promoting bioactive compounds and nutrients. A survey of Gambian consumers, stratified by age, gender, education, and FF knowledge, investigated relationships among knowledge, awareness, and attitudes influencing willingness to try FFs. Multivariate multiple regression models analyzed demographic and lifestyle data. Results revealed a strong correlation between attitudes towards FFs and perceived properties. Positive attitudes towards FFs were associated with perceived health benefits, and willingness to consume FFs increased with these beliefs. Family and friends significantly contributed to FF knowledge dissemination. Furthermore, age, health status, and education significantly influenced consumer awareness. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted information campaigns, particularly for low-educated populations concerned about health. This study identifies knowledge gaps and provides insights for policymakers promoting healthier diets in The Gambia, offering valuable lessons for other developing nations.

Seyed Hamidreza Nabaei, Ryan Lenfant, Viswajith Govinda Rajan et al.

In the era of growing interest in healthy buildings and smart homes, the importance of sustainable, health conscious indoor environments is paramount. Smart tools, especially VOC sensors, are crucial for monitoring indoor air quality, yet interpreting signals from various VOC sources remains challenging. A promising approach involves understanding how indoor plants respond to environmental conditions. Plants produce terpenes, a type of VOC, when exposed to abiotic and biotic stressors - including pathogens, predators, light, and temperature - offering a novel pathway for monitoring indoor air quality. While prior work often relies on specialized laboratory sensors, our research leverages readily available commercial sensors to detect and classify plant emitted VOCs that signify changes in indoor conditions. We quantified the sensitivity of these sensors by measuring 16 terpenes in controlled experiments, then identified and tested the most promising terpenes in realistic environments. We also examined physics based models to map VOC responses but found them lacking for real world complexity. Consequently, we trained machine learning models to classify terpenes using commercial sensors and identified optimal sensor placement. To validate this approach, we analyzed emissions from a living basil plant, successfully detecting terpene output. Our findings establish a foundation for overcoming challenges in plant VOC detection, paving the way for advanced plant based sensors to enhance indoor environmental quality in future smart buildings.

L. L. Mugivhisa, M. P. Mphitshana and J. O. Olowoyo

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the accumulation of household waste continued to rise as the number of COVID-19 patients increased. COVID-19 can survive and be transmitted from contaminated surfaces, making waste pickers more vulnerable and at risk of contracting and spreading the virus through contact with infected household waste. The study assessed safety practices and risks related to waste picking during the COVID-19 pandemic at two selected dumping sites in the north of Pretoria. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 81 waste pickers at these landfill sites. Results showed that 100.0% of waste pickers at Site A and 86.7% at Site B collected plastics; 96.7% at Site A and 90.5% at Site B collected bottles; and 100% at Site B and 95.5% at Site A collected metals. The majority, 92.0% at Site A and 90.0% at Site B, were aware of the dangers and risks associated with waste handling if protective gear was not worn. From sites A and B, 97.0% and 90% of the waste pickers respectively had heard of COVID-19, although 51.9% from both sites believed they could not contract COVID-19 while handling waste. Only 18.0% of waste pickers from Site A and 82.0% from Site B faced challenges with purchasing their own PPE. All waste pickers at Site A wore facial masks, whereas 86.0% at Site B did so. Regarding testing for COVID-19, 22.0% from Site A and 19.0% from Site B were tested, with 2.0% from Site A and none (0.0%) from Site B testing positive. It is recommended that all waste pickers be educated about COVID-19 transmission and provided with PPE during the pandemic.

Irwanto Irwanto, Samuel Arung Paembonan, Putu Oka Ngakan et al.

Many sandy beach forests on small islands were cut down by people for farming to provide for their food needs. Land degraded due to over-exploitation is overgrown by Imperata cylindrica, which often causes fires in the dry season. This study aims to determine the species that occur in the secondary succession of Imperata grassland vegetation to assess soil fertility and differences in carbon stocks in various types of vegetation cover on the beach of Marsegu raised coral island. The measurement and calculation of carbon stocks used the Indonesian National Standard 7724:2011 with slight modifications in certain parts. The non-destructive method for calculating the above-ground and below-ground biomass used an allometric and the destructive method was carried out for understory and litter while the carbon content of the soil was taken compositely from several plots and layers and then analyzed in the laboratory. The results showed that the species that can grow and coexist with Imperata cylindrica is Timonius timon. In the final stage of the loss of Imperata cylindrica, the beach forest area was dominated by Terminalia catappa, Sterculia ceramica, and Cassia fistula. The soil's nutrient content of total N, P2O5 (available P) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) is low, with a very high sand texture percentage of 91-93%, which affects soil fertility. A comparison of total carbon stocks between differences in vegetation cover is the Imperata grassland area of 129.955 t/ha, the rehabilitation area is 82.920 t/ha, and the Terminalia vegetation is area 137.977 t/ha.

P. Jegathambal, Brunoc, Shobina, C. Mayilswamy and K. Parameswari

The dye effluents released from the textile and printing industries contain strong colorants, inorganic salts, and other toxic compounds. The conventional coagulation technique of dye effluent treatment is plagued with issues of low removal rate of color, generation of large quantities of sludge, and toxic end-products. Recently electrocoagulation technique gained immense attention due to its high efficiency. This technique involves the dissolution of the sacrificial anodes to provide an active metal hydroxide as a strong coagulant that destabilizes the pollutants and removes them by precipitation or flocculation. This study is about the efficiency of the electrocoagulation process using titanium coated - aluminum and mild steel electrodes to treat industrial dye wastewater. Effects of parameters such as current density & initial dye concentration were investigated. It was observed that, for the same current density, electrode consumption was higher with TiO2/Al electrode than with mild steel electrode, resulting in more color removal efficiency (CRE) using TiO2/Al electrode. The settling rate of the flocs was higher in the rector having TiO2/Al electrode at the 100 mL with current density (2.5 mL.min-1 to 5.3 mL.min-1), while in the reactor with mild steel electrode, the settling rate was very less. The results showed that dye removal was 95.11% and 92.1% for mild steel and titanium-coated electrodes, respectively. It was observed that 50 % of Aluminum was removed from the treated effluent after the final stage of filtration. Based on the multicriteria analysis to identify the optimum operational parameters to be applied at the field level, it was observed that maximum CRE may be obtained with TiO2/Al electrode and the applied current of 1 Amps with a flow rate of 100 mL.min-1. It can be concluded that electrocoagulation is a highly efficient and the fastest method to treat dye effluents from industries.

Ece S. Koksal, Erdal Aydin

Constructing first principles models is a challenging task for nonlinear and complex systems such as a wastewater treatment unit. In recent years, data-driven models are widely used to overcome the complexity. However, they often suffer from issues such as missing, low quality or noisy data. Transfer learning is a solution for this issue where knowledge from another task is transferred to target one to increase the prediction performance. In this work, the objective is increasing the prediction performance of an industrial wastewater treatment plant by transferring the knowledge of (i) an open-source simulation model that captures the underlying physics of the process, albeit with dissimilarities to the target plant, (ii) another industrial plant characterized by noisy and limited data but located in the same refinery, and (iii) the model in (ii) and making the objective function of the training problem physics informed where the physics information derived from the open-source model in (ii). The results have shown that test and validation performance are improved up to 27% and 59%, respectively.

Elisa Atza, Rob Klooster, Falko Hofstra et al.

The vigor of potato plants, defined as the canopy area at the end of the exponential growth stage, depends on the origin and physiological state of the seed tuber. Experiments carried out with six potato varieties in three test fields over three years show that there is a 73%-90% correlation in the vigor of the plants from the same seedlot grown in different test fields. However, these correlations are not always observed on the level of individual varieties and vanish or become negative when the seed tubers and young plants experience environmental stress. A comprehensive study of the association between the vigor and the seed tuber biochemistry has revealed that, while 50%-70% of the variation in the plant vigor is explained by the tuber data, the vigor is dominated by the potato genotype. Analysis of individual predictors, such as the abundance of a particular metabolite, indicates that the vigor enhancing properties of the seed tubers differ between genotypes. Variety-specific models show that, for some varieties, up to 30% of the vigor variation within the variety is explained by and can be predicted from the tuber biochemistry, whereas, for other varieties, the association between the tuber composition and the vigor is much weaker.

Rahul Rajak, Arup Jana, Aparajita Chattopadhyay, Sushmita Singh and Jitender Prasad

The study aims to understand employees’ knowledge, awareness, and overall perception of drinking water quality in the Iron and Steel Industry in Burnpur, India. Further, this study evaluated drinking water’s physicochemical and bacteriological properties collected from different company sites. This study uses a mixed-method approach with individual interviews of selected employees (n=342) and the laboratory test of eight selected drinking water sites. The results show that most employees considered drinking water acceptable to be excellent. However, only 30% of employees in Site 1 (Coke Oven By-Product department) have reported organoleptic properties of water under the excellent category. The result explained that other physicochemical and bacteriological properties are in good status in all sites except for a colony count, expressing their suitability for drinking purposes. In summary, employees’ perception of water quality aligns with their drinking water’s physicochemical and bacteriological properties.

Saba Khurshid, Abdur Rahman Quaff and Ramakar Jha

The paper presents the treatment of atrazine-contaminated wastewater by ozonation followed by an anaerobic process using Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor. The experiment was performed with 100 ppb synthetic solutions of atrazine prepared in ultra-pure water. The corresponding initial Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is 226 mg.L-1. The initial pH was adjusted to 9.5. The atrazine-bearing synthetic wastewater was ozonated with an ozone dose of 9.4mg/l for 40 minutes of optimum ozonation time, resulting in a 35% reduction in the initial concentration of atrazine. Along with atrazine reduction, there was a COD removal of 54.42%. Further, it was degraded with an anaerobic process, resulting in the final reduction in atrazine concentration of 81% and the corresponding removal in COD of 86.7%. The process of ozonation led to the mineralization of atrazine and enhancement in the biodegradability of the wastewater. Using ion chromatography, the ozonated wastewater sample was analyzed for ionic by-products before and after ozonation. The ion chromatography results showed the breaking of the atrazine compound and the formation of Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, and F- as intermediate products. Further, the BOD5/COD ratio increased, reflecting the increased biodegradability. This ozonated wastewater was treated in a UASB reactor where the pesticide was degraded to 19 ppb, and COs degraded to 30 mg.L-1. The overall removal of atrazine pesticide and COD were 81% and 86.7%, respectively, in the integrated system of ozonation followed by anaerobic degradation.

Namrata and N. D. Wagh

The objective of this article is to present comprehensive findings and analysis of studies performed on air pollutant dispersion in urban environments. It captures India’s rising environmental pollution due to urbanization, industrialization, and population growth. Dispersion of pollutants due to the wind in the lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) is a major concern nowadays. The dispersion field around the buildings is a critical parameter to analyze and it primarily depends on the correct simulation of the wind flow structure. Therefore, studies performed on this in past years are being reviewed. Additionally, a brief review of different air dispersion models that are integrated with the Geographic Information System (GIS) has been studied in this article to assess the exposure. The results of these studies provide the urban air dispersion model aligning to three sub-models i.e., Emission, Weather Prediction, and Dispersion models. Various factors like wind speed, wind direction, cloud cover, traffic emission, disposal of waste, transportation, and others are considered. This study also captures the problems and risks being faced while creating a model, and its possible mitigation approaches.

Iraj Moradpoor, Sanna Syri, Janne Hirvonen

The Finnish Government target of carbon neutrality by 2035 is challenging for the district heat (DH) systems of Finnish cities, as nearly 50% of the DH fuels are still fossil or peat. The DH price in Finnish cities is rising intensively. To avoid energy poverty, it is imperative to develop low-carbon DH solutions affordable for all customers. The feasibility of various low-carbon scenarios supplying a DH network is investigated with three different energy renovation levels. Biomass combustion technologies (combined heat and power (CHP) and heat only boiler (HOB)) and waste heat recovery technologies (Heat Pump and Electric Boiler) are analyzed. The economic and sensitivity analyses of the DH network are carried out from utility and end-user viewpoints. The operation cost and break-even price of heat are calculated in different renovation levels. Biomass HOB has the lowest operation cost at all renovation levels followed by waste heat-heat pump. Waste heat-heat pump + electric boiler has the lowest total cost, 53–58 €/MWh, at all renovation levels. Waste heat recovery scenarios were found sensitive to changes in electricity price. Waste heat-heat pump has the lowest overall emissions, whereas biomass combustion causes high emissions of biogenic CO2, NOx and particulate matter.

R. Abirami and S. P. Sangeetha

Concrete with fiber as a reinforcing material is one of the important fields of research that is gaining traction in this upcoming green technology revolution. By adding fibers to concrete, the tensile strength properties are vastly improved without compromising the strength characteristics, and cost fluctuation is minimal. This research is being carried out to improve the qualities of concrete that have been infused with chemically treated sisal fiber in varied ratios. The paper investigates and describes the effects of sisal fiber when it is chemically treated and infused with concrete, comparing it to ordinary concrete in strength tests. Water absorption, workability, and other material characteristics of Sisal fiber reinforced concrete with 0.5 per cent, 1 per cent, 1.5 per cent, and 2 per cent fiber replacing cement by volume fraction and a sisal fiber aspect ratio of 1:100 are compared to the traditional M30 concrete grade. After being treated with an alkaline solution, 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent sisal fiber reinforced concrete increased tensile and compressive strength, as well as the formation of calcium carbonate deposits on the fiber interfaces; this also contributes to the concrete’s corrosion resistance and durability.

Jonathan Fletcher, Nigel Willby, David M. Oliver et al.

The primary aim of this study was to understand the factors, e.g., harvest frequency and plant community type, that can facilitate optimising phytoextraction in wild macrophyte communities as part of a strategy for water-quality improvement and resource recovery. This was achieved by surveying wild macrophyte communities and quantifying standing stocks of key nutrient pollutants such as N and P, and a range of other recoverable macro and micro-nutrients (Ca, K, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Na and Cr). By scaling-up the pollutant export potential over a decade, it was determined which harvest strategy and plant community types provide the greatest levels of nutrient export. Grime’s CSR plant strategy framework was used to categorise each surveyed community, where large-statured, higher biomass producing competitor and stress tolerator-type communities were compared with ruderal-type communities that have rapid growth and high nutrient acquisition but smaller standing biomass and statures. High biomass plant communities containing competitor or stress tolerator species, produce greater standing stocks of macronutrients (such as N and P) for harvesting, while yields of micronutrient-type pollutants are more likely to be influenced by specific physiological traits that determine leaf tissue concentration. Utilising a high frequency harvest regime over a multi-year time scale suggested that small fast-growing ruderals could yield 4–6 times the concentration of macronutrients and micronutrients for export compared to competitor or stress tolerator-dominated communities e.g., P yields from ruderals were 25 g/m2 versus 5 g/m2 from competitor/stress tolerator-dominated communities. These results emphasise the need to consider both the plant community and the harvesting regime when using phytoextraction as a management tool. We anticipate that these results will help guide environmental managers in their approach in developing circular economy schemes that improve water quality through nutrient export.