Efficiency of environmental resources is one of the goals of the sustainable development of a building and its sanitation. Sanitation efficiency was sought through hybrid offsite system, which was a decentralization of sanitation services. This study proposed a hybrid onsite system combining phytoarchitecture and phytosanitation, which empowers renewable building plants to improve resource efficiency, as well as sustainable building environmental health. Based on various empirical studies on sanitation management in rural and urban areas in many places, this retrospective study identified three wastewater disposal efficiencies. It was through quantity distribution, environmental media in which the greywater could be discharged, and quality treatment. The results marked the feasibility of wastewater services for greywater treatment, which served at least 75% of the wastewater quantity. Its main contribution was related to the distribution of discharge to all environmental media, and the improvement of the quality of greywater at its disposal. Building plants could be used for hybrid onsite system, thereby making these plants multifunctional to maintain the quality of the building environment. This hybrid onsite phytosanitation system covered various feasibility features compared to other existing systems. Implementation was flexible for new provisions and adaptation to existing systems for both urban and rural areas. Thus, the service maintained sustainable buildings and environmental health.

Hydrothermal carbonization is a thermal technique that offers numerous environmental benefits, particularly in managing solid waste streams by decomposing the raw materials of solid wastes and converting them into the renewable source of energy known as hydro-char. This study evaluates the heating value of hydro-char produced through the hydrothermal carbonization of cigarette butts, taking into account influential factors such as time, temperature, and pressure, as well as its benefits and economic implications, using a novel approach involving simulations aimed at reducing the number of required tests, saving time, and cutting costs.The range of 150 to 350 oC for temperature and 30 to 240 minutes for reaction time were considered and resulted in a thermal value range of 15.94 to 23.12 MJ/Kg for hydro-char, which makes its heat value greater than lignite coal and within the range of bituminous coal. The findings also indicated that temperature and time have a direct impact on the heat value, with time being the more influential factor, although high temperatures can expedite the reaction rate and should not be disregarded. Finally, the economic analysis of the project was conducted using the NPV method, which demonstrated that the viability of this method depends on the cost of coal, making it a promising alternative for accessing new and cost-effective fuel resources while considering environmental benefits. Besides, this study highlights the potential of hydrothermal carbonization as a viable and advantageous method for producing fuel resources from biomass and organic waste, and provides quantitative and comparable evidence of the applicability and benefits of the proposed hydrothermal carbonization methodology in comparison to conventional methods.

Improper management of wet waste in cities located in temperate, humid regions with abundant rainfall leads to the production and spread of leachate across ecosystems. This not only pollutes soil and surface water but also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, negatively impacting both ecosystem and human health. Effective waste management can transform these wastes into valuable products, such as fertilizer and biogas, while also preventing environmental damage. In this study, we focus on a region with moderate weather conditions, which offers the potential for efficient waste management at a reasonable cost. By evaluating various technologies and methods, as well as considering global implementation approaches, anaerobic digestion emerges as a more suitable solution for waste management compared to conventional methods like burying and burning. Apart from waste reduction, anaerobic digestion offers several advantages, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, prevention of soil, air, and water pollution, decreased toxicity and heavy metal contamination, and eradication of pathogenic organisms. Numerous types of digesters have been developed to date, and factors such as geographical location, substrate availability, construction materials, climatic conditions, cost and capital requirements, and energy consumption influence the design of these digesters. In this study, we estimate the design, construction, and management of a small-scale digester for a town with a population of 2000 people. By providing reliable information, this research aims to assist executive officials of towns and villages in establishing such units within their communities, promoting sustainable rural development.

The total particle mass concentration, size distribution, pH form, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) value, the concentration of total Benzo[a]pyrene Toxic Equivalence (BaPTE) and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) of smoke particles from the rubber sheets processing sewage sludge biochar burning were studied. In this work, the temperature was measured at 500 mm above the fire base by using K-type thermocouples and a continuously data logger. The result showed that the measured temperature value increased when decreasing the biochar moisture content. The highest average total smoke particle mass concentration values at the initial burning time was found to be 17.53 to 35.27 mg/m3 and then it was persistently reduced until the 60th minute, when the burning was stopped. The pH of biochar's smoke particles was higher than it was before combustion. The total smoke particle mass concentration, the mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) and PAHs values decreased with increasing burning period and decreased the biochar moisture content. The largest BaPTE emission was observed at the highest moisture content, which was within the range of the greatest particle mass (less than 0.43 micron) in an initial combustion period. This value was about 60% that of a given the total value of BaPTE concentration. Meanwhile, the amount of PAHs, the BaPTE concentration and WSOC were depended on the smoke particle number, moisture content and combustion period.

The biodegradation rates of single-use blended bioplastic packaging nylon, nylon 6, and cellulose polymer were assessed in aquatic environments in an attempt to identify real biodegradable bioplastics (RBB). The natural biodegradation rates of the test samples in freshwater and marine water were assessed by respirometric method following the procedure of the American Standard Testing and Materials. The experimental design was arranged thrice in a completely randomized design of 2x4x3. The physicochemical parameters were obtained using the standard methods while the rates of biodegradation were obtained by titration method. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistical method. At the end of 120 days, there were steady increase in the rates of biodegradation of cellulose and bioplastic samples across the fourth month in both freshwater and marine water. However, the rate of biodegradation in marine water were higher than in freshwater following the trend cellulose in marine (342 %) > cellulose in freshwater (259%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in marine (193%) > bioplastics packaging nylon in freshwater (175%). For nylon 6, the rate (-14) of retardation in the biodegradation process in Nylon 6 soaked in marine water is greater than that of Nylon 6 soaked in freshwater (-13). Consequently, nylon 6 was recalcitrant to biodegradation both in freshwater and marine water. The study concluded that the blended bioplastic packaging nylon is a real biodegradable bioplastic and could be suggested as a feasible and environmentally-friendly option to replace traditional plastics in the society.

Contamination of ground and surface water resources with Nitrate (NO3), Fluoride (F), Trihalomethanes (THMs), radon, and heavy metals is the most important global concern due to its possible health risks to people. This study reviews the drinking water contaminants and their health outcomes examined in Iran. A review search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Knowledge, PubMed, and Embase databases for associated released articles from 2014 to 2023, resulting in 86 articles relevant to the objective of this study. According to the results of this review, different emerging contaminants were found in potable water, including THMs, NO3, F, radon and heavy elements (i.e., As,  Pb, Ni, Cd, Zn, Cu, and Cr). Health outcomes of exposure to radon, F, NO3, THMs, and heavy metals in potable water have been expressed in various epidemiological research studies. More than 65% of the studies reported hazard index (HI) or hazard quotient (HQ) of heavy elements to be greater than one in potable water in Iran for infants, children, teenagers, and adults. Children and infants are at higher health risk than adults in these areas. The level of Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Nickel, Zinc, and Chromium, in 26, 26, 17.39, 13.04, 8.69, and 4.3% of the papers was more than the allowable limits, respectively. Various groups of emerging pollutants have been found in potable water in Iran, while epidemiological research studies on their health outcomes are still insufficient.

River basins perform the crucial role of providing water resources, especially in arid regions. Due to the nature of interconnection, human interventions and natural events will cause cumulative impacts on the downstream parts of river basins. The aim of this research is to identify and evaluate the impacts of interventions and changes occurring in the upstream of the Tigris-Euphrates River Basin on the downstream parts and provide strategies to reduce and control those effects. To achieve this purpose, multi-scaled investigation of the changes and dynamics of the land cover was performed and the causes and consequences of these changes were investigated using the Driving force-Pressure-Sate-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The results displayed an increase in the area of artificial lakes and agricultural lands and a decline in the area of rangelands and natural wetlands, especially in the downstream of the basin. The state of the ecosystem was under the influence of Driving forces such as population and industrial growth and political competitions of the littoral states, which led to pressure on the limited water resources and development of water management and control projects. The overall trends of changes in the state of the environment had created impacts on the ecosystem and communities that required urgent responses from the riparian countries. Finally, to foster water cooperation instead of non-constructive completions in this region, a framework was developed with an emphasis on creating a union of riparian countries and using their scientific potentials to provide effective and impartial solutions.

People’s growing anxiety, and fear of the issue of a large number of mobile phone towers, as well as the lack of studies dealing with this issue at the level of the country in general, and the governorate in particular. All these reasons led to the issue of non-ionizing rays given off by mobile telephone masts on the table of worries about how this radioactivity will affect people's health. Non-ionized radiation emissions were measured by taking 280 readings for the three frequency packets 900, 1800, and 1840 MHz, which are sequential-Global System Mobile (GSM), of 20 cell phone towers in the Al-Amara, the city center of Misan prefecture. Four readings were collected for each frequency, with the highest value for overlap between electromagnetic field and frequency being chosen. A selective Radiation Meter (SRM-3006) was the device used in this study. It was found that the amount of non-ionizing radiation emitted by the towers taken in the study, and for the frequencies (900, 1800, and 1840 MHz) was, in a successive manner (309 × 10-8, 7 ×10-8, and 1109×10-7 MHz). Thus, the measured values of radiation were less than the surveyed limit (4×10-1 μW/cm2) provided for by the law of Iraq’s Determinants for Non-ionized Radiation Emissions (IDNREs).

Abstract: Air Quality Index (AQI) is derived from a series of observations of different air pollutants for reporting air quality. The severity of air pollution and its impacts on the general public are typically reported using the air quality index. Different methods have been developed by various regulatory agencies and scientists, to calculate the AQI using aggregation methods involving critical pollutants. This paper presents a comparison between conventional AQI and Fuzzy AQI. 20 sampling locations were chosen for Vadodara city in order to investigate the effects of urban air pollution, and ambient air quality was measured twice a week from October 2017 to February 2018. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) method formulas were used to calculate the traditional Air Quality Index using the measured values of Coarse particulate matter (PM10), Sulphur dioxide  (SO2), and Oxides of nitrogen (NOX).  Additionally, the membership functions were provided as input to the Mamdani fuzzy inference system (FIS) for the fuzzy logic system, and the fuzzy air quality index (FAQI) was calculated. The computed conventional AQI values were compared with FAQI values. A close co-relation was observed between conventional AQI and fuzzy AQI values. The application of the fuzzy inference system demonstrates its capability to manage difficult issues including data ambiguity. The findings clearly show that the FIS is capable of resolving inherent discrepancies and interpreting complex conditions.

Constructed wetland systems (CWs) are low-cost natural treatment systems for various types of influents. Although mainly the natural wetlands are soil-based, the constructed wetlands have been traditionally built using aggregate media. The performance of four types of available soils in Chhattisgarh was studied as the filter media in the horizontal subsurface flow-constructed wetland (HSFCW). Fourteen pilot-scale CW units with different soil types (entisol, vertisol, alfisol, inceptisol, and stone aggregate) and plant types (Canna indica and Typha latifolia) were used to treat domestic wastewater (WW). One set of each soil base reactor was planted with Canna indica and Typha latifolia, and one was kept blank (unplanted). All soils and plants are easily available.The reactors received primary wastewater in batch loads with WW loading for six hours to maintain aerobic conditions. The residence time of WW was 48 hours, and the applied hydraulic loading rate (HLR) was based on soil and aggregate. According to the findings, the planted HSFCW was more effective than the unplanted system. The results show that the wetland constructed on the treatment efficiency of the soil base has excellent potential to treat WW, with both plants.