The impact of water organic pollution from leftover fish feed and metabolic waste in floating net cages (FNC) aquaculture can lead to detrimental effects on coastal marine biota. This underscores the necessity for continuous monitoring of water quality in areas surrounding FNCs to mitigate the environmental impacts of aquaculture. One method of evaluating water quality is through the Saprobic Index, which quantitatively analyzes pollution status based on the presence and composition of various organisms, including plankton. This study aims to evaluate the organic pollution potential derived from fish feed in the vicinity of the FNCs at Sendang Biru waters by employing the Saprobic Index. The research identified five classes of phytoplankton in the FNC area: Bacillariophyceae, Dinophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Cyanophyceae, and Globothalamea. Analysis of the phytoplankton composition indicated that the waters surrounding Sendang Biru FNC can be classified as ranging from Oligosaprobic to β-Meso/Oligosaprobic. These findings suggest that the aquaculture practices utilizing the FNC system contribute to a light level of organic pollution in the water. This emphasizes the importance of effective management and monitoring strategies to minimize the environmental impact and ensure the sustainability of aquaculture in coastal marine ecosystems.

This study investigates the use of thermal indexes, specifically Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), to determine outdoor comfort in the Bogor Botanical Gardens (KRB). This park is centrally located in Bogor city, with elevations ranging from 215-260 m above sea level. The thermal sensation was determined using seven references: PET in Europe, Taiwan, Tianjin, Tel Aviv, and UTCI in the Mediterranean, Tianjin, and general contexts. The study involved 284 visitors surveyed for their thermal comfort perceptions. Findings indicate that, based on thermal sensation criteria from the seven references, KRB is generally not within the comfort zone throughout the year, except for the PET in Taiwan, which is comfortable year-round. In-situ measurements show an average daily PET of 33.8°C and UTCI of 34.4°C. According to the Taiwan PET range, the thermal sensation is categorized as somewhat warm to warm (uncomfortable). However, 69.4% of visitors reported feeling comfortable, likely due to the environmental conditions, with 70.3% tree coverage in the 54.7 ha park area.

The study was conducted within the Protected Area of the Tumauini Watershed Natural Park located in the municipality of Tumauini province of Isabela along the western part of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. The protected areas in the Philippines cover 39% of the total forest cover. Protection and conservation of protected areas is significant due to the increasing habitat loss and biodiversity loss. The main objective of the study is to assess the tree diversity of the park using the modified belt-transect method adopted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The transect line has a distance of 2 kilometers and a total of 9 stations. A Nested Quadrat was established along the transect line for tree identification. Results of the assessment show that the park has a species richness of 34 tree species in eight families and 26 genera. Species diversity indicates low (2.4) to very low (1.12) based on the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index despite the high number of individuals found in the watershed area. The low diversity of the watershed is affected by the rampant anthropogenic activities and naturally-induced hazards occurring in the protected area. Shorea polysmerma is the most dominant and the most important species, with an Importance Value index of 38.78. Three species of trees were recorded as generalists in the area such as Calophyllum blancoi, Shorea palosapis, and Ficus sp.

Improper disposal of solid waste obstructs drainage systems and pollutes surface water. Additionally, the dumping of unsorted garbage generates emissions and leachate, which harm local ecosystems and contribute to climate change. With Rewari City’s growing population, effective municipal solid waste management, including landfill site selection, is crucial. This study employs Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methodologies to determine appropriate sites for landfills. The FAO, ALOS PALSAR DEM, Sentinel 2B images, Google Earth Pro, and interviews were employed to gather data. The results of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) indicate that 35.4% of the parameters under consideration are associated with Land Use Land Cover (LULC), whereas roads rank as the second most significant criterion, accounting for 24.0%. The WLC technique determined that 4.65 square kilometers were inappropriate for dump sites, while 0.11 square kilometers were extremely favorable. These findings can assist decision-makers in determining the order of importance for variables when selecting a landfill location.

This research investigated the potential for using vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) to remediate metal-polluted sites in Bulgaria. In the second year of the experiment, the vetiver grass was gathered. The heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Hg), micro (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn), and macro (P, K, Ca, Mg) element contents in vetiver roots and shoots were determined by ICP after microwave mineralization. The essential oil of the ground vetiver roots was obtained by steam distillation in laboratory conditions. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified fifteen compounds in the oil, mainly sesquiterpenes. The vetiver grass is tolerant to heavy metals with no signs of toxicity (chlorosis and necrosis) and can be grown on heavy metal polluted soils (37.7 mg.kg-1 Cd, 1238.7 mg.kg-1 Pb and 1676.4 mg.kg-1 Zn). Bioaccumulation factor and translocation factor values (BAF and TF < 1) were less than one, suggesting low accumulation in the shoot. This crop can be referred to as a non-accumulating plant for Pb, Cd, and Zn and can be used for the phytostabilisation of contaminated soils in situ. Cultivating vetiver on soils contaminated with heavy metals has a beneficial effect on the yield and production of oil of high commercial value (high in khusimol).

Heavy metal contamination poses a significant threat to soil ecosystems and the health of living organisms, necessitating sustainable remediation strategies. Selective earthworm species play a pivotal role in enhancing microbial activity, thereby influencing heavy metal transformation processes. This study investigates the synergistic interactions between earthworms and soil microbes in heavy metal bioconversion. Using a controlled experimental design, specific earthworm species that significantly enhance microbial-mediated reduction, immobilization, and detoxification of heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic. Key findings indicate that Eisenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae, Dendrobaena octaedra and Lumbricus terrestris stimulate microbial populations capable of producing bioavailable heavy metal chelators and reducing agents. Enhanced enzymatic activities, such as phosphatases and dehydrogenases, were strongly correlated with the presence of these earthworms. Despite these promising results, critical gaps remain in understanding species-specific microbial dynamics and long-term impacts on heavy metal bioavailability. Furthermore, the effects of varying soil physicochemical conditions on bioremediation efficiency require a comprehensive investigation. This study underscores the potential of integrating selective earthworm species into bioremediation frameworks for sustainable soil management. Future research should prioritize field-scale trials, advanced metagenomic analyses, and the assessment of eco-toxicological implications to optimize earthworm-mediated bioremediation strategies.

Flash floods are among the most dangerous natural disasters, as they cause widespread damage to property and loss of lives, especially in desert and mountainous areas. This study aims to evaluate the Wadi Habban basin to be exposed to the risk of sudden floods using remote sensing data, geographic information systems (GIS), and the pyramid analysis methodology (AHP). The spatial distribution of hazardous areas has been evaluated through the weight and reclassification of ten main criteria that include geomorphology, elevation, slope, rainfall, drainage density, distance to watercourse, land use and land cover, soil texture, Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), and Stream Power Index (SPI), were integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. The analysis classified the basin into five risk categories: 4.3% (very high), 10.2% (high), 29.4% (medium), 42.2% (low), and 13.7%. (very low). The results revealed that 14.5% of the basin area is exposed to severe and high floods, which confirms the necessity of protective strategies, such as constructing flood barriers near vulnerable valleys and enhancing infrastructure and drainage systems. These results provide essential insights for disaster preparedness and infrastructure development, serving as a significant reference for policymakers and planners to enhance flood risk management and mitigate susceptibility in analogous settings.

In the World Air Quality Report 2022, India ranked 8th in terms of average PM2.5 concentration globally with a value of 53.3 μg/m3, and a number of the 7 most polluted cities are located in India out of 50 top cities. The presence of poor air quality in mining cities has a positive relationship with mining activities, and this scenario persists in different cities of Jharkhand state. In this study, we draw the API (Air Pollution Index) with the help of the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) across the state of Jharkhand by considering parameters such as CO, O3, NO2, SO2, and PM10 and the relationship between Sentinel 5P aerosol optical depth (AOD) and CPCB published ground data of PM10 (i.e., monthly and seasonal) was also explored. The outcome depicts that a high concentration of API is dominant along the north-eastern part of the state due to the intensive mining activity along this part of the state, and the trend of concentration of PM10 in the air is continuously increasing from 2012-2018 as per the GOJ (Government of Jharkhand) report. This study will give insight into the pollution scenario in the mining-dominated state of Jharkhand, and along with that, it will also spread awareness of the impact of mining activities on the atmosphere.

Biopesticides have frequently been the focus of attention on a global scale as a safer alternative to chemical pest control that may provide less damage to both humans and the environment. The usage of biopesticides is rising rapidly worldwide, at 10 percent a year. With the idea of limited application for the most significant impact, nanotechnology has produced novel tools for pest management in agriculture, including nanopesticides and nanosensors. In contrast to conventional chemical pesticides, nanopesticides are formulations of a pesticide’s active component in nanoform that have delayed degradation, targeted distribution, and controlled release of the active ingredient over longer periods. In accordance with lots of studies, incorporating certain biological agents in nanoparticulate systems increases their effectiveness against pests while lowering losses resulting from physical deterioration. The development and evaluation of nanobiopesticides have been the subject of laboratory-only research to date using techniques like the creation of nanocomposites, nanoengineered biopesticides, coating nanoparticles with bio-pesticides, etc. The formulation of appropriate, globally acceptable bio-safety and registration requirements is necessary to enable the effective use of these formulations for pest management at the field level.

This study implemented a circular economy model in processing coconuts into white copra as the main product to achieve a zero-waste production system. Simultaneously, other fruit components, such as shells, fibers, and coconut water, are also processed into products that play a role in supporting the main product directly or indirectly. The processed products obtained were liquid smoke, charcoal briquettes, and tar. The processing of white copra was carried out in the following stages: (i) coconut meat was processed into white copra, while the shell was pyrolyzed into liquid smoke, charcoal, and tar; (ii) liquid smoke was used as a preservative for copra, (iii) charcoal was formed into charcoal briquettes which were used for pyrolysis heating, and (iv) the tar produced was used as a wood preservative. The entire series of research was conducted as a laboratory experiment. The treatment of coconut meat dipping for copra in the concentration of liquid smoke solution was arranged in a randomized block design (RCBD). The data were analyzed by ANOVA and continued with Duncan’s multiple comparisons. Meanwhile, the determination of the components of the results of peeling coconuts and the results of pyrolysis of coconut shells and fibers, as well as the characterization of liquid smoke and charcoal briquettes formed, were carried out by observational experiments. The results of this study indicate that the weight of 100 coconuts of the tall variety sample was 175.1 kg, or an average weight of 1,751 g per coconut. After peeling all the coconuts, the components of meat, shell, fiber, and fruit water were obtained, each weighing 48.9 kg, 23.2 kg, 70.6 kg, and 32.4 kg. Furthermore, 23.2 kg of shells were pyrolyzed and produced liquid smoke, charcoal, and tar of 9,126.70 g, 7,155.52 g, and 574.64 g, respectively, which was the average of three pyrolysis repetitions. Coconut shell charcoal briquettes were formed by mixing charcoal flour with tapioca and water in a ratio of 80:5:10, which formed a homogeneous mixture. The mixture was molded by a hydraulic press with a pressure of 2,000 g.cm-2. Furthermore, the test results of water content, volatile matter, ash, fixed carbon, specific gravity, compressive strength, and calorific value were 7.79%, 13.75%, 2.76%, 68.66%, 0.92 g.cm-3, and 64.22 kg.cm-2, 6,521 caL.g-1, respectively. All the results of the charcoal briquette test parameters met Indonesian and Japanese Standards. In the processing of coconut meat, 25.67 kg of white copra was obtained, which was treated with 12.5% liquid smoke with a quality equivalent to the results of sulfur fumigation, namely, free from fungal infection and the highest oil yield and copra brightness. The results of this study provide new findings that, from one coconut of the tall variety, 489 g of coconut meat and 232 g of shell were produced. From the shell, 91.13 g of liquid smoke and 82.15 g of charcoal briquettes were produced, and 26.67 g of white copra was produced as the main product. This study provided new findings on the circular economy model and the principle of zero waste in white copra production, with the fact that each tall coconut variety produced 489 g of coconut meat and 232 g of shell. From the shell, 91.13 g of liquid smoke and 82.15 g of charcoal briquettes were produced, and 26.67 g of white copra was produced as the main product. This evidence provided new enthusiasm in the business of producing white copra that is financially profitable and sustainable. This study opens up many further studies and studies on the circular economy and zero waste, especially in the processing of coconut products, for example, in the coconut oil, desiccated coconut, brown sugar, and virgin coconut oil industries etc. In addition, it does not rule out the possibility of research accompanied by financial studies.