Natural disasters are natural activities that can disrupt various aspects. Natural disasters cannot be avoided, but the impact of natural disasters can be minimized through mitigation. This can be known through event history to determine an area’s vulnerability to natural disasters. This research aims to determine regional natural disaster vulnerability by calculating the natural disaster index. The data used in this research refers to data from the 2021 PODES data collection, which contains the intensity of natural disasters and casualties according to the type of natural disaster in Indonesia in 2020. The method used for the calculation is the weighted index method. The results of this research produced 5 clusters based on the level of natural disaster vulnerability according to sub-district/village. The top five provinces in Indonesia that have the highest natural disaster-prone areas are Aceh, North Sumatra, West Java, East Java, and Central Sulawesi. Research shows that sub-districts/villages in Indonesia are known according to their level of vulnerability to natural disasters. These results can be used as a reference for the government to carry out mitigation so that accelerated development in the local area can continue.

The global construction industry faces significant challenges related to environmental sustainability and resource scarcity. Researchers are increasingly exploring innovative approaches to repurpose waste materials, aiming to mitigate environmental pollution while producing value-added construction materials. This paper reviews the sustainability of current methodologies for synthesizing construction materials from pollutants, considering industrial by-products, post-consumer waste, and pollutants as potential feedstocks. The evaluation focuses on various recycling, upcycling, and bioconversion techniques, assessing their environmental and technical feasibility. The paper also discusses case studies of successful implementations and emerging trends in the field to highlight practical applications and future research directions. Ultimately, the paper advocates for sustainable practices in the construction sector by promoting a circular economy model, where waste is transformed into valuable resources, fostering wealth development.

Aphids are important insect pests and are considered a major threat to various crops. In the laboratory experiment, our objective is to assess the toxicity level of some newer synthetic insecticides, viz. Imidacloprid, Flonicamid, and Spirotetramat against different species of aphids viz. maize leaf aphids (Rhopalosiphum maidis), green peach aphids (Myzus persicae), and mustard aphids (Liphaphis erysimi). The leaf dip bioassay was conducted to evaluate the LC50 and LT50 values. Among these novel molecules, Spirotetramat was the most toxic insecticide against R. maidis and M. persicae, with median lethal concentrations (LC50) of 0.68 and 3.99 ppm, and Flonicamid was the most toxic against L. erysimi with an LC50 value of 5.79 ppm. The median lethal concentrations for the Imidacloprid, Flonicamid, and Spirotetramat are different for each species of aphids. The LT50 values of the given insecticides revealed that the Imidacloprid has the potential for giving effective control of R. maidis, M. persicae, and L. erysimi species, as evidenced by the shorter time required for 50% mortality with LT50 values of 44.53, 49.19 and 44.90 hrs respectively with median lethal concentrations of 4.20, 5.14 and 10.86 ppm. The results indicated variations in toxicity among these different chemicals against different insect species.

Plastic pollution is a global concern affecting water, soil, and air quality. Urgent action is needed to address this issue. This study aims to identify factors influencing the use of biodegradable plastic to reduce its negative impacts. Data were collected from 269 households-129 in Punggawan and 140 in Mojosongo, Surakarta, and analyzed using multiple regression analysis to study the determinants of WTP (Willingness to Pay) for biodegradable plastic with STATA software. The results show that the average WTP for biodegradable plastic is IDR 2,214. Most people in Surakarta are already environmentally conscious. Age, knowledge, occupation, interaction of sex and location, education, and marital status influence WTP for biodegradable plastic. It is hoped that the implications of the research will be used as a recommendation for government policies to reduce the amount of plastic waste generation, which is a danger to human beings and the environment.

Water plays a crucial role in the environment and in the process of liquefaction, which can occur during moderate to major earthquakes and cause significant structural damage. Liquefaction is defined as the transformation of granular material from a solid state to a liquid state, a process driven by increased pore water pressure and reduced effective stress within the soil. When an earthquake strikes, the shaking causes the pore water pressure between the sand grains to rise, which in turn reduces the contact forces between the grains. As a result, the sand loses its effective shear strength and starts to behave more like a fluid, leading to instability and potential collapse of structures built on such ground. Liquefaction can occur in moderate to major earthquakes, resulting in severe damage to structures. The transformation of granular material from a solid state to a liquid state due to increased pore pressure and reduced effective stress is defined as liquefaction. When this happens, the sand grains lose their effective shear strength and will behave more like a fluid. This phenomenon of dissolution of soil damages trees’ stability and disturbs the formation of the earth’s surface. Liquefaction resistance of soil depends on the initial state of soil to the state corresponding to failure. The liquefaction resistance can be evaluated based on tests on laboratory and in situ tests. For this research, liquefaction resistance using in-field tests based on SPT N values is attempted. Cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) is found based on the corrected N value. About 16 bore logs have been selected for the factor of safety calculation. The factor of safety for soil was arrived at by taking into account of corresponding corrected SPT N values. The liquefaction hazard map is prepared for the moment magnitude of 7.5-7.6 M w. It is also found that the areas close to water bodies and streams have the factor of safety less than unity. The bore log of locations having a factor of safety less than one indicates that up to a depth of about 6 m, very loose silty sand with clay and sand is present, which are defined as medium to fine sand having low field N values.

Ibuprofen (IBU) is increasingly recognized as a significant category of emerging micropollutants that infiltrate aquatic ecosystems. IBU possesses a significant capacity to inflict ecological harm, adversely affecting both ecosystems and the health of humans and animals. The primary contributors to the environmental presence of IBU encompass the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), hospital effluents, and agricultural byproducts. The degradation of IBU is contingent upon various factors, including its chemical and biological persistence, physicochemical properties, and the methodologies employed for its treatment. A multitude of techniques has been employed to mitigate its detrimental effects, involve adsorption, coagulation, bioremediation (constructed wetlands (CWs), membrane bioreactors (MBRs), microalgal-based systems), advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), membrane filtration systems (including reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and microfiltration), as well as photocatalytic methods, among others. The exploration of more innovative and effective technologies aimed at IBU degradation necessitates a thorough investigation and should be specifically tailored for cost-efficiency and scalability. Additionally, the assessment of green and eco-friendly alternatives for IBU, characterized by attributes such as negligible bioaccumulation, minimal persistence, environmental compatibility, and low or no toxicity, is equally essential. Bacterial degradation mechanisms constitute a highly promising alternative for the biodegradation of IBU, especially through the application of meticulously chosen strains that have been isolated from contaminated environments.

This work aims to examine the effectiveness of phytoremediation, a process that uses Brassica juncea (Indian Mustard) and Medicago sativa (Alfalfa) plants to remediate contaminated soil with Cr and Ar. An economical and ecologically appropriate way to remove, immobilize, and degrade contaminants from soil and water is through phytoremediation. With this experiment, plants can grow in a controlled environment with different Cr and Ar concentrations in soil and the addition of organic compost. This entails evaluating the plants’ capacity to absorb metal, monitoring variations in the concentrations of metal in the plants’ roots, stems, leaves, and seeds, and looking into how organic matter affects the efficiency of phytoremediation. The findings showed that plants accumulated large amounts of chromium and arsenic across all experimental plants, but the highest accumulation was observed in the root system, which suggested that the plants were involved in the process of rhizofiltration. The roots pick up much more of the metals than the aerial of the plant, including stems, leaves, and seeds, thereby minimizing metal translocation to the parts of the plant that can be ingested by animals and, in turn, humans. This is a fundamental criterion for phytoremediation for assurance of a safe and effective process. Overall, the present study underscores the ability of phytoremediation in the remediation of heavy metal-polluted soils, especially under the use of organic growing media. It has made me understand the usefulness of this method for the effective and efficient cleaning of the soil in comparison with traditional methods, which could benefit the environment and future cost savings. Further research should be concerned with field-scale experiences and examine the potential of phytoremediation approaches in the range of environmental conditions.

Maize plays a vital role in enhancing food security, particularly in regions facing agricultural challenges such as poor soil conditions, erratic rainfall, and limited access to resources. It can be advantageous for smallholder farmers in developing countries, where it can enhance productivity on limited land and under suboptimal soil conditions. One of the potential means for improving crop yield under suboptimal soil conditions, such as acidic soils, is the application of soil amendments. However, the combined effects of functionalized biochar (a pyrogenic carbon) and microbes on phosphorus (P) bioavailability and plant growth performance are still not well understood. This study investigates the optimization of transplanted maize growth in acidic soil through the application of rice husk biochar (RHB) that was oxidized with 10% hydrogen peroxide and inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a phosphate-solubilizing bacterium. The oxidized biochar’s pH was adjusted to 6.2 to enhance its effectiveness in challenging soil conditions. Soil properties and maize performance were determined using a pot culture. Results showed that the combined use of 10% oxidized RHB and Pseudomonas aeruginosa significantly increased P availability and phosphatase enzyme activity by 435% and 418%, respectively. Additionally, 10% Oxidized RHB treatment, microbes treatment and combination of biochar and microbes treatment showed yield increment 52%, 51% and 313% respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the treatment in improving soil fertility and crop productivity. This improvement in yield might have occurred due to an increase in soil pH, P bioavailability, and a reduction in Al toxicity since there were significant positive relationships between yield and soil pH and available P and a negative relationship with available Al concentration. These findings underscore the potential of integrating oxidized biochar and beneficial microbes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to enhance crop performance in acidic soils.

The Nickel Oxide (NiO) nanoparticles are synthesized using the green synthesis method utilizing Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata leaf extracts. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed that synthesized NiO-NPs exhibit face-centered cubic structure. SEM images of NiO-NPs exhibited agglomerated structures. TEM images of NiO-NPs revealed spherical morphology with variable sizes ranging from 5-50 nm. FT-IR spectrum was used to confirm the various functional groups. The absorbance spectral studies reveal the existence of three important peaks at wavelength 545 nm, 589 nm, and 636 nm. The antibacterial activity of NiO-NPs against Gram +ve Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM2079), Bacillus subtilis (NCIM2250), and Gram –ve Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC3541), Escherichia coli (NCIM2065) was further studied. The anticancer activity of NiO-NPs against lung cancer cells (NRU-A549) was examined. The IC50 value was found to be 326.4 µg/mL. The synthesized NiO-NPs were further studied for electrochemical and supercapacitor applications.

Abundant lignocellulosic biomass components have been a source of inspiration for designing complex materials with high surface area and potent applications in a wide variety of commercial products, including water purification, biosensors, catalysis, and others. Billion tons of lignocellulosic biomass waste are produced in a year. This lignocellulosic biomass waste could be a good source of precursor for activated carbon and other carbonbased nanomaterials. Activated carbon was prepared from Seed pods of lignocellulosic biomass of Jacaranda mimosifolia, which was treated as waste using a single-step green method of synthesis. Synthesized activated carbon was characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), N2 adsorption/desorption, and Zeta potential. It was evident that the synthesis method was free from chemical use and thus eco-friendly. We have reported maximum removal of heavy metal, lead ion (Pb+2), and dye Eriochrome Black T (EBT) using prepared activated carbon was 58.77 and 286.56 mg·g-1, respectively. The adsorption was rapid, with 97% of Pb+2 and 90% of EBT adsorption accomplished within 60 min. The synthesized material could be used in the design of a filter for sustainable water purification.