Combined heavy metal contamination in soil is a common phenomenon. Biochar amendment into the soil is considered to be an alternative for immobilization remediation of soil contaminated with heavy metals due to its adsorption and alkalization. However, much attention has been paid to the adsorption and immobilization of single heavy metals by biochar. In this paper, the competitive adsorption of Cd(II) and Zn(II) on biochar derived from cotton straw and pig manure at 500℃ (BCS500 and BPM500), loess and biochar-loess mixtures were investigated using the batch equilibrium method. The results showed that the adsorption capacities of biochars, loess, and biochar-loess mixtures to Cd(II) and Zn(II) in the mixed Cd-Zn systems increased with the increase of initial metal concentrations of Cd(II) and Zn(II). The adsorptive capacities of BCS500 and BPM500 to Cd(II) in mixed Cd-Zn system were 33% and 35% less than those in the single Cd(II)systems, while the adsorptive capacities to Zn(II) were 62% and 56% less than those in the single Zn(II) systems. The adsorptive capacities of loess to Cd(II) and Zn(II) in mixed Cd-Zn systems were 29% and 55% less than those in the single metal systems. The adsorptive capacities of loess-BCS500 (LBCS) and loess-BPM500 (LBPM) to Cd(II) in mixed Cd-Zn system were 40% and 38% less than those in the single Cd(II) systems, while the adsorptive capacities to Zn(II) were 63% and 60% less than those in the single Zn(II)systems. Moreover, the competitive adsorptive capacity of Cd(II) is greater than that of Zn(II). It can be seen that when heavy metal pollution with similar nature of multiple elements exists in soil, the amount of adsorbent should be increased to resist the possible weakened adsorption caused by competitive adsorption in order to guarantee an effective absorption treatment.

The nutritive value of mulberry leaves makes it the only food of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.). It is recorded that 6.73 million hectares of area are affected by salinity and sodicity stresses covering various states of the country, which is becoming one of the major threats to popularizing sericulture in India. In the present study, chlorophyll, protein, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase content of leaves of six mulberry germplasm viz., English Black, Kolitha-3, C776, Rotundiloba, BC259, and S1 grown under coastal saline soils of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India was investigated. Results demonstrated a sharp decrease in the chlorophyll (2.35 to1.19 mg.g FW-1) and protein (30.10 to 15.20 mg.g FW-1) contents of leaves of all the mulberry germplasm with increasing soil salinity (1.60 to 22.70 dS.m-1). On the contrary, the number of stress-related antioxidant enzymes like catalase, peroxidases, and superoxide dismutase increased from 1.15 to 5.43, 1.43 to 4.76, and 8.65 to 25.15 g-1 FW.min-1, respectively. Overall, the field study indicated the superiority of Kolitha-3 and C776 grown in Canning (Canning I and II), Basanti, Namkhana, Kakdwip, and Sagar blocks of coastal regions of South 24 Parganas. The study deals with issues of the utilization of scarce land promoting income-generating avenues like sericulture in saline areas.

The research addressed the effective and sustainable ways to enhance the thermal insulation properties of concrete without compromising its structural integrity. Traditional methods of enhancing thermal insulation in buildings, such as using thick layers of insulation materials, can be costly and may not always be practical in certain settings. Additionally, the disposal of waste materials such as date palm fiber, shopping plastic bags, and thermocol beads presents an environmental challenge. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential use of these waste materials as additives in concrete to improve its thermal insulation properties while also providing a sustainable solution for waste disposal. Date palm fiber is a natural material that is widely available in the Gulf region. Plastic bags are a huge waste from the shops every day, and from the packing materials, this thermocol is a huge waste product. We have to recycle it very efficiently to protect the environment. Three types of special materials, such as thermocol beads (30%), date palm fiber (3%) & shopping plastic bag fiber (3%), were tested in this research. Thermocol beads, when used, reduce their strength and increase the thermal resistance of concrete, while date palm fiber and shopping bag waste fiber, when used, increase the strength of concrete and also increase the thermal resistance of concrete, so it is an excellent reinforcing material and thermal barrier for shopping plastic bags fiber and date palm fiber. Based on this research result, when thermocol beads are used, they prevent heat by 42 percent, while when added with date palm fiber and plastic fiber, they also block heat by an average of 30% percent; thus, all three ingredients are considered excellent thermal insulation material. The reduction in thermal conductivity was attributed to the formation of air voids and the low thermal conductivity of the waste materials. The density of the concrete decreased with the addition of the waste materials. The study suggests that the incorporation of date palm fiber, shopping bag waste fiber, and thermocol beads can be an effective way to enhance the thermal insulation properties of concrete while also providing an environmentally sustainable solution for waste disposal. It will boost green energy technology in the construction industry.

Recently, magnetic nanomaterials have gained much attention from researchers because of their various unique physical and chemical properties and usage in a wide range of technological aspects. In this study, the synthesis of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was performed by a simple co-precipitation method. The synthesis of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was carried out by mixing ferric nitrate and oxalic acid in an aqueous solution followed by evaporation, resulting in the solution’s dried form. The synthesized nanoparticles were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, Raman spectra, SEM-EDX, DSC, BET, and Zeta potential for detailed examination of the morphology, structure, and other physicochemical characteristics. The XRD results confirmed that the nanoparticles formed were Hematite (α-Fe2O3) after the evaluation of obtained spectra compared to the Joint Committee on Powder Diffraction Standards Database (JCPDS). The FTIR spectra showed various bonds among functional groups, O-H bending, Fe-O group, and within-vibration bonds. The phase study of the α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles was performed by using Raman spectroscopy. SEM depicted a sphere-like or rhombohedral (hexagonal) structure, and the EDX spectrum confirmed the peaks of iron and oxygen.

In the past decade, governments and development agencies have contributed significantly to society through anaerobic digestion technology (ADT). Anaerobic digestion technology (ADT) has become an important tool in the fight against global poverty and environmental issues, leading to positive change in communities around the world. The technology works as a wet or dry process, depending on its classification. The process is complex and yields multiple benefits, such as creating a natural fertilizer that can be used to help crops grow, as well as generating renewable energy sources. It is common knowledge that many household-sized digesters installed in different areas are one-stage digesters. One-stage digesters do not require a separate pre-treatment stage before the digestion process. This makes them simpler and more cost-effective to install and operate than traditional two-stage digesters. Thus, some drawbacks are associated with these systems since they feed on just one type of feedstock. Many researchers fail to adequately address interactions critical to ADT’s operation, including interactions among growth factors and operating parameters. In a single-stage and one-substrate digester, researchers commonly neglect to study the digester feeding and operational conditions. Anaerobic digestion was the subject of this review, covering research conducted between 2001 and 2022. The study identified a significant drawback associated with mono-digestion and single-stage digestion. The findings illustrate that mono-substrate and single-stage digestion are worthwhile approaches, even though they have their challenges. However, adding a further digestion stage can significantly improve biogas production.

Sustainable energy legislation in the modern world is the primary strategy that has raised the benchmark for energy and environmental security globally. The rapid growth in the human population has led to rising energy needs, which are predicted to increase by at least 50% by 2030. Waste management and environmental pollution present the biggest challenge to developing countries. The improvement of energy efficiency while ensuring higher nutritional evacuation wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a significant problem for many wastewater treatment plants. Some treatment techniques require high energy input, which makes them expensive to remediate water use. Pollutants like chemical pesticides, hydrocarbons, colorants (dyes), surfactants, and aromatic compounds are present in wastewater and are contributing to other problems. Israel consumes 10% of the global energy supply, significantly more than other countries. The lagoon and trickling filters are the most widely used technologies in South African WWTPs, where the electricity intensity ranges from 0.079 to 0.41 kWh.m-3 (Wang et al. 2016). Korea and India use almost the same energy (0.24 kWh.m-3). An estimated one-fifth of the energy used in a municipality’s WWTPs is used for overall public utilities, and this percentage is anticipated to rise by 20% over the next 15 years owing to expanding consumption of water and higher standards. In this review paper, we examined the potential for creating energy-self-sufficient WWTPs and discussed how much energy is currently consumed by WWTPs. The desirable qualities of microalgae, their production on a global level, technologies for treating wastewater with biogas and solar power, its developments, and issues for sustainable development are highlighted. The scientific elaboration of the mechanisms used for pollutant degradation using solar energy, as well as their viability, are the key issues that have been addressed.

The stated goal of the research is to investigate the surface water quality of the Baitarani River in Odisha to ascertain its compatibility for various uses. Large, complex datasets generated during the one-year (2021-2022) monitoring program were collected from 13 locations and encompassed 22 parameters. To examine temporal and spatial fluctuations in and to interpret these datasets, MCDMs like TOPSIS and the Entropy-based Water Quality Index (EWQI) were utilized. The physical and chemical outcomes of the current experiment were compared to WHO standards. According to the analysis’s results, turbidity and total coliform (TC) are indicators that have a greater impact on water quality in all locations during both seasons and are directly linked to home and agricultural non-point source pollution. As per EWQI interpretation, 30.77 % of the observations in PRM and POM fall under the poor category. The findings showed how anthropogenic activities have harmed St. 8, 11, 12, and 13 and require effective management. A quantifiable approach was also carried out to decide the efficacy of TOPSIS. Farming attributes, including SAR, % Na, RSC, MR, KI, and PI, were estimated to delineate the agriculturally practicable zones. This work can offer a reference database for the betterment of water quality.

Effective stormwater management can be used to regulate water quantity and quality for environmental sustainability, flood control, pollution reduction and other advantages of civil engineering infrastructures. Pollution of the environment and contamination of water sources can emanate from improper stormwater management. This study used a small-scale model of rainwater harvesting to analyze the design and model of urban stormwater management and treatment infrastructure for the neighborhoods in Abuja. The water quality of the treated stormwater retrieved has improved as a result of the usage of memory foam, alum, and chlorine to filter out contaminants and pathogens. With the fictitious stormwater treatment model created for this study, average values of the physicochemical parameters were collected from the stormwater discharge after it had been filtered and treated. The use of potash alum has had a variety of effects on the water’s quality. From 697 mg.L-1 to 635 mg.L-1, the total dissolved solids dropped. The DO dropped from 5.87 mg.L-1 to 3.92 mg.L-1 as well. Additionally, the turbidity rose from 4.42 FNU to 4.58 FNU, and the salinity rose from 0.7 PSU to 1.44 PSU, respectively. pH decreases from 19.78 to 15.17 mg.L-1, BOD decreases from 8.35 to 6.51, and COD decreases from 2.55 to 1.9. Calcium hardness has decreased from 287 mg.L-1 to 265.83 mg.L-1. The conductivity increases marginally from 3.24 ms.cm-1 to 3.82 ms.cm-1. The Fe2+ and Zn2+ ions exhibit a little decrease from 0.143 mg.L-1 to 0.055 mg.L-1 and from 0.092 mg.L-1 to 0.045 mg.L-1, respectively. Due to inadequate or nonexistent drainage systems in the many states and villages throughout the country, stormwater run-off management and treatment in Nigeria have been a colossal failure. Effective stormwater management can be sustained by using legal and environmental laws.

The current investigation assessed the capability of a well-adapted and enriched bacterial strain known as Bacillus brevis for the biodegradation of phenanthrene. To enhance the removal efficiency of phenanthrene, employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in conjunction with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) model. The experiments were designed to explore the impact of pH (6.0 to 9.0), temperature (20 to 40°C), initial phenanthrene concentration (50 and 100 ppm), and incubation time (7 to 21 days) on biodegradation of phenanthrene. The highest level of phenanthrene biodegradation, approximately 55.0%, was achieved by Bacillus brevis when the optimal conditions were met as pH of 7.0, temperature 30oC, and initial phenanthrene concentration (70 ppm) after 21 days of incubation time. This study underscores the significance of employing statistical tools like RSM to enhance the microbial degradation of contaminants.

Locally available apricot seed shell as agro-waste was used for the preparation of adsorbents. The biochar was prepared at 370°C via pyrolysis and 80 mesh particle sizes were modified by 1N HCl. Nitrate adsorption and effect of co-ions from aqueous solution were studied under batch model using apricot seed shell powder (ASSP), apricot seed shell biochar (ASSB), and activated apricot seed shell biochar (AASSB). FTIR and pHPZC measurements were used to characterize the adsorbents. Based on the experimental findings, the optimum conditions follow pH 2, 0.3g dosage, initial concentration of 50 mg.L-1, and contact time of 90 min. The three forms of adsorbent exhibited good adsorption for nitrate. However, the maximum percentage removal of nitrate ions from the aqueous solution followed the order AASSB>ASSB>ASSP. The adsorption kinetic of nitrate ion was best fitted by pseudo 2nd order, and the parameters of adsorption isotherms elucidated favorable and improved sorption. This agro-waste could be used to develop sustainable adsorbents in water and wastewater treatment methods and has great potential to replace commercially available sorbents.