Collection of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) accounts for a significant proportion of most municipal budgets, and has drawn some degree of researchers‟ interest. This study was conducted in Ota, Southwest Nigeria, to explore the use of Visual basic program as an innovative tool to select the most economic haulage system among three systems found in literature (conventional-, modified- and Stationary- hauled system) for collection and transfer of MSW to disposal sites. Factors that affect the costs of collection and transportation of waste such as: vehicle cost, total time spent on waste collection, and gross travel cost, were considered in the analysis. The result of the study shows that the stationary hauled method of waste collection is the optimal and economical method of collection. This method recorded a 56% and 43% reduction in total cost of daily travel per waste collection, as compared to the conventional and the modified systems, respectively. The application of visual basic program proffers implementable solutions to reduce the cost of MSW transportation to disposal sites. This would reduce travel time and costs of vehicle fueling, and increase the prompt collection of waste which would in turn facilitate the development of an aesthetically balanced and environmentally friendly municipality that would perhaps boost economic development.

Exhaust emissions contribute greatly to air pollution, the social cost of which may occur as danger to human health, attracting huge medical expenses, causing absenteeism and hence loss of productivity. These are incentives to reduce exhaust emissions to the barest minimum. Two major cities in Ghana, Accra and Kumasi, are struck by vehicular traffic jams especially during rush-hours and are grappling with the situation perceived to be worsened by driving pattern, a travel-related characteristic with a tendency to increase vehicular emission and hence, atmospheric pollution. Driving patterns were studied in the Kumasi Metropolis using questionnaires purposively administered to drivers who visited the Driver and Vehicles Licensing Authority. Parameters were analyzed with SPSS. Results indicate that drivers plied highway (90.0%), feeder (6.7%) and urban (3.3%) roads. Drivers (90%) had no knowledge of how driving patterns contribute to emissions, effect of idle and hot emissions and hot-and-cold starts dynamics. This could explain the failure of drivers to allow vehicle engines to stabilize for over 5 min and also to put off engines when stuck in traffic. Drivers changed speed as often as 4 times/km due to vehicle congestion and intermittent traffic lights, intersections and roundabouts. This may explain the difficulty in maintaining constant speed; thereby compelling drivers to exhibit frequent gear-changing behaviours as well as unstable and inconsistent speed profiles, as the commonest driving patterns. Such characteristics potentially increase energy consumption, emission level and abatement cost significantly and therefore, call for intensified educational programmes aimed at curbing this environmental peril.

Water is vital for human survival and has been instrumental in the development of ancient civilizations worldwide. However, in the modern era, humanity grapples with the pressing issues of environmental crisis and the depletion of natural resources. To address these challenges, it is crucial to embrace sustainable practices in land and resource management, ensuring the responsible use of natural resources while safeguarding the needs of future generations. The Finsk Dam, situated on the Sefidroud River, fulfills the vital purpose of providing potable water to the cities of Semnan, Mahdishahr, Sorkheh, and Shahmirzad. Moreover, it also caters to the requirements of downstream aquifers and environmental needs concerning drinking water development. As the Finsk Dam exceeds a height of 15 meters, it qualifies as a large dam according to the International Committee on Large Dams (ICOLD). Consequently, a comprehensive evaluation of its diverse environmental aspects assumes paramount importance. Despite the projections of regional development, the construction of the dam possesses the potential to yield adverse environmental effects within the region. To address this concern, the evaluation matrix method, as endorsed by ICOLD, was employed to scrutinize the various stages of the dam's construction and operation while assessing its environmental aspects. Following technical reviews, the third option emerged as the most suitable location for the dam's construction among the four available alternatives. Additionally, three distinct pipeline routes were identified and evaluated for the transportation of water from the dam to the Semnan province, with the second option being deemed the most appropriate choice.

The application of the electro-coagulation process to the identified contaminated groundwater at Abala community, a suburb of Ilorin metropolis in Kwara state, Nigeria, is the subject of this study. The groundwater samples were electro-coagulated in a batch reactor of 2.5L containing 1 litre volume of contaminated groundwater for 1 hour per run using a DC power supply ranging from 10v to 20v at constant current 5amp and 2amp to 6amp at constant voltage 10v using graphite electrodes. The results revealed that electro-coagulation process can reduce turbidity, TDS, Electrical Conductivity, BOD, TOC, COD, and color by 97.3 %, 91.2 %, 91.1 %, 96 %, 99.7%, 99.7%, 79.9%, and 82.96 %, respectively. Through Atomic Absorption spectroscopy analytical study, the process also shows removal efficiency of Manganese, Iron, and Zinc of 82.96 percent, 70.0 percent, and 95.30 percent, respectively. The outcome of the electro-coagulation process met the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and the Water Environment Partnership In Asia (WEPA) criteria for both drinking water and general industrial wastewater discharge guidelines. The electro-coagulation treatment for contaminated groundwater was efficient and effective, therefore it is recommended in this study for Nigerians.

The objective of the present study was to prepare CuFe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles using the sol-gel combustion method, employing lemon juice as a surfactant and energy agent. This method is located within the green chemistry, representing an environmentally friendly and less expensive approach compared to other methods. The nanoparticles were subsequently evaluated as antibacterial agents against different pathogenic bacteria. Before the antibacterial assays, a cytotoxicity test was conducted to evaluate their safety when applied to organisms. The structural, morphological, elemental composition, and magnetic properties of the samples were analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Detection (EDX). The X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed both the phase purity and the particle size to be 24.27 nm. The results demonstrated that the CuFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibited substantial antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative bacteria (Sphingomonas paucimobilis) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus lentus and Bacillus subtilis). The antibacterial efficacy was more pronounced against Gram-negative bacteria, with inhibition diameter 5.46mm and 10.64mm at concentrations of 5000 ppm and 10000 ppm, respectively. When making a comparison, the effectiveness against Gram-positive bacteria displayed a slight reduction. Inhibition zones measured 2.76 mm and 8.33 mm for Staphylococcus lentus, while they were 3.58 mm and 5.35 mm for Bacillus subtilis. These measurements were observed at nanoparticle concentrations of 5000 ppm and 10000 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, the study confirmed the safety of the CuFe2O4 nanoparticles by assessing their toxicity on human red blood cell at different concentrations (50, 100,250,500,1000,5000, and 10000 ppm).

The aim of this study was to determine by SEM-EDS analysis of the surface morphologies of the periostracum and nacreous layer and to determine the sodium (Na), Strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn), potassium (K), titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) metals levels in the shells of the mussel (Potomida semirugata, Unio terminalis, Anodonta pseudodopsis and Leguminaia wheatleyi) obtained from Gölbaşı Lake, Turkey. The results of the study, the representative SEM analysis and corresponding EDS spectra of the periostracum and nacreous layer of the shells of freshwater mussels confirmed the presence of elemental compositions, including CaCO3. P. semirugata and U. terminalis have the aragonite prismatic layer that shows typical polygonal organizing, regular and polygonal crystal forms, with hexagonal and coexisting rhombic shapes. However, while A. pseudodopsis has round aragonite crystals (Rc), L. wheatleyi has irregular crystal plate layers (Irc). CaCO3, detected strong Ca peaks as well as C and O peaks with Mg and Si peaks. On the other hand, sodium (Na) was found in the highest concentrations ranging from 82.30±0.040 to 155.37±0.050 μg/g, and its concentrations were also higher than those of other metals in all species. The most abundant elements in shells of four freshwater mussel’s species were Sr, Na, and Mn which ranged from 26.07±0.44-58.023±0.52 μg/g, 82.30±0.040-155.37±0.050 μg/g, and 6.06±0.044-9.66±0.053 μg/g respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Turkey that is researched the different four freshwater mussel species in the Gölbaşı Lake, Turkey.

Removing environmental pollutants and preserving the environment is an important issue and many efforts have been made in this regard in recent years. In the present work, chromate ions were removed from aqueous solutions by ZnO/CuO acting as both adsorbent and catalyst. Metal oxide fabrication from metal organic framework is one of the most important and interesting scientific issues for the synthesis of high surface area materials. Here, we demonstrate ZnO/CuO synthesis from bimetallic Zn-Cu metal-organic framework (Zn(50)-Cu(50)-BTC) using temperature-programmed oxidation method. The adsorptive and catalytic removal procedure were optimized in terms of its batch efficiency using experimental designs. The effect of hole scavenger type was investigated, and the relationships between the effective important removal procedure parameters and chromate removal efficiency were analyzed through the response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). The correlation coefficient (R2) and F values were 0.9883 and 74.81, respectively. Finally, simplex non-linear optimization was carried out and the optimal pH, ZnO/CuO amount and contact time were determined to be 2, 20 mg, and 17.5 min. Under these conditions, the predicted removal efficiency of 50 ppm chromate at a 95% confidence level was 98.1 ± 2.4%, which was very close to the recorded response (i.e. 99.4 ± 1.9%). The kinetic and isothermal profiles of the proposed ZnO/CuO, were thoroughly investigated under optimal conditions. The adsorption isotherm follow the Langmuir model and kinetics were found to be pseudo-second-order.

Conventional remediation techniques have become outdated and insufficient to treat the influx of pollution from different fronts (air, water, and soil). Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an eco-friendly approach to remediate these contaminants and Membrane technology is increasingly becoming popular for the treatment of wastewater due to their efficiency and versatility against a wide array of contaminants. Cellulose acetate (CA) is a polymer obtained from cellulose and hence considered biodegradable, making it a more environmentally friendly option over other conventional polymers. In this present study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using Staphylococcus aureus and characterized by UV-vis Spectrometer, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX). The synthesized green silver nanoparticles were assimilated onto synthesized CA membrane films to fabricate nanocomposite membranes (CA-X, CA-X1 and CA-X2). EDAX results showed higher counts of silver at 3keV on the CA-X, confirming that silver nanoparticles were properly embedded on the membrane. Physio-chemical tests performed on the collected sewage, showed that the total dissolved solids (TDS) were found to decrease significantly during the first hour of treatment, CA-X1 showed 16.2% decrease and 21.95% decrease was observed by CA-X2. A decrease in total nitrogen content by 38.88% and 41.36% for CA-X1 and CA-X2 respectively was recorded after a week’s treatment. Therefore, the work displayed the capability of cellulose acetate nanocomposite membrane for leachate treatment, since it displayed its potential in remediating leachate in a short span of time and scalability could be achieved for a larger volume of leachate with larger nanocomposite membranes.

Paringin District is one of the coal mining areas in South Kalimantan with the exploitation method of open pit mining. This activity opens rock layers containing sulfur, reacting with water and oxygen, spreading sulfide acid into the environment. Analysis of the water quality of the Post-mining Lake in Paringin District is needed based on the biological parameters. The objective aims to analyze the water quality of the Post-mining Lake, Paringin District, based on plankton’s abundance, diversity, and dominance. This research was located in Post-mining Lake, PT. Adaro Indonesia. Data were taken at three sampling points in the pit pond and three depths. Data was taken from 2019 to 2021 using plankton net and analyzed using the enumeration method. The data was processed using the diversity index, dominance index, and saprobic index. Phytoplankton and Zooplankton abundance were dependent on three different depths (p-value>0.05). The most abundant phytoplankton species in all stations was Oscillatoria sp. (>90%) while Nauplius sp. (>30%) for zooplankton. Rainfall in the study area affected the number of individual species very weakly. The highest dominance value of phytoplankton and zooplankton was recorded around the end of 2019 to early 2020 as well as a saprobic index and diversity. Crustacea class considerably exists in all sites, which is Nauplius sp. and Daphnia sp. This situation proved there was a recovery of the plankton population in the lake, no algae blooming and a balance between nutrients and plankton population. In fact, the aquatic habitats are ready to accommodate large ecosystems.

This work explores the potential toxicity of agricultural waste materials, specifically date palm seeds and palm fronds, on plant growth and health. These waste materials have shown promise as bioadsorbents for water purification, but their impact on plants needs to be understood. Toxicity assessments are crucial to ensure safe utilization and prevent negative effects on agricultural systems and ecosystems. Date palm seeds and palm fronds contain chemical compounds that can have allelopathic properties and influence neighboring plant growth. Experimental methods were employed to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of these materials, including germination assays and root growth inhibition tests. The results indicate that upon adsorption of PO4, palm leaves exhibited a significant enhancement in germination, leading to a remarkable increase of up to 371%. This outcome strongly emphasizes the effectiveness of palm leaves as vegetable fertilizers, highlighting their potential in agricultural applications. These findings contribute to understanding the phytotoxic potential of agricultural waste materials and developing sustainable utilization strategies.