This paper aimed to investigate the Spatial and Temporal Variation of the air quality index (AQI) in the Amman and Zarqa Metropolitan Areas during the period 2016-2022 following the method adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States of America (EPA). Air quality data for PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2, SO2, and CO recorded at five monitoring stations were downloaded from the official website of the Jordanian Ministry of Environment. Calculated AQI values were generally between the Good class (AQI <50) and the Moderate class (AQI 50-100) at all stations, the AQI calculations for PM10 demonstrated a noticeable increase during autumnal months, likely due to natural dust. PM2.5 demonstrated seasonal variation, with higher values in winter months where residents burn fossil fuel for heating. Stabel air in winter due to the cooled land surface, and the weak natural air mix and ventilation contribute to the deterioration of air quality. Calculated individual AQI for SO2 and NO2 reveals that all extent of the study area falls in the Good AQI class. Similarly, CO and ozone-based AQI values fluctuate within the “Good” class, with occasional episodes of compromised air quality at specific stations.

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.

Composting is an integral component of sustainable Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management within the circular bio-economy platform. However, it faces challenges due to malodorous emissions that impact environmental and societal equilibrium. The present study aims to minimize odorous emissions and expedite compost maturation using a novel, efficient microbial consortium. Bacteria sourced from open dump sites in Sri Lanka were carefully screened based on concurrent enzyme production. Five developed consortia were tested for their performance in reducing malodors during the composting process of MSW. Consortium No. 5 (C5), comprised of Bacillus haynesii, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus safensis, demonstrated outstanding performance with a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in odorous emissions. Additionally, consortium C5 exhibited impressive control over gas emissions, maintaining VOC, CH4, NH3, and H2S concentrations within ranges of 0.5-6 ppm, 0.5-0.8 ppm, 0.3-0.5 ppm, and 0.5-0.6 ppm, respectively, compared to control concentrations of 4.5-10.2 ppm, 0.5-5.5 ppm, 0.3-5.5 ppm, and 0.5-6.4 ppm, respectively. Additionally, comprehensive Electronic nose (E-nose) analysis substantiated C5’s efficiency in attenuating Methane-Aliphatic compounds, Sulfur and Aromatic compounds, along with low-polarity aromatic and alkane compounds, all with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Further, the developed consortium could reduce the composting time from 110 ± 10 days to 17 ± 3 days, offering a sustainable solution for global MSW management.

Cloud seeding involves boosting precipitation by releasing substances into the air that act as cloud condensation or ice nuclei. These substances encourage the development of clouds and precipitation. It’s like giving Mother Nature a gentle push to assist with rainfall in specific areas. The current work aimed to suggest Al2O3 as an alternate compound in cloud seeding rather than silver iodide. In this research, a unique approach is used to identify condensation nuclei, which play a crucial role in cloud formation and droplet growth. Various samples and four sources were included in the current study; refrigerated helfa powder, Himalayan salt, generator powder, and pollen, were analyzed using different physicochemical instruments. The proportions of chemical compounds in the samples show that there is 1.392% of Al2O3 in Refrigerated helfa which is the highest than in the other 3 sources, while the proportions of elements in the samples indicate that refrigerated helfa contains the lowest toxic compound, and although Al2O3 is insoluble in water, it is hygroscopic and can absorb 6.4% of humidity within 24 hours. As for the surface tension, refrigerated helfa shows lower density and surface tension than the other three sources with values of 0.9480 and 47.89 respectively. Al2O3 shows high humid absorptivity and refrigerated helfa can be used as a main source for Al2O3 which has a low effect on biota and is recommended for use in cloud seeding. However further work is recommended to be carried out in using Al2O3 as an alternative compound to silver iodide in cloud seeding.

Climate change is a global threat to the environment and human health. Two of the main greenhouse gases that cause the greenhouse effect and raise global temperatures are carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. In this review paper, we investigated the effects of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides on climate change and the effects of climate change on Afghanistan. We found that high concentrations of carbon dioxide, which is now CO2 levels, have increased by 50% than before the Industrial Revolution, contributing to a rise in global temperature and precipitation. At the same time, Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas, with 310-fold higher potential for global warming than CO2 and leads to the depletion of stratospheric Ozone and other Nitrogen oxides, has a significant impact on plant health, including effects on chlorophyll levels, oxidative stress, and antioxidant responses. Afghanistan’s climate change is predicted to increase the country’s prevalence of illnesses linked to dust storms and poor air quality, especially in Kabul, the nation’s capital. In addition, air pollution in Kabul is also likely to increase as a result of climate change. The alarming impacts of air pollution, with more than 3,000 deaths attributed to air pollution annually. Additionally, at least 700,000 individuals in Kabul have experienced various respiratory diseases. Due to climate change, Afghanistan’s total glacier area has shrunk by 13.8%. In 2023, Afghanistan experienced early snow melt and below-average precipitation, causing second-season and irrigated crops to have less access to water. Reducing emissions and coping with the changing climate are essential steps towards tackling the complex issues these gases present and their wider effects on the environment and human health.

The purpose of the research work is to explore the objective and competence of COP (Conference of Parties) in the context of environmental issues and climate change management and this is performed by evaluating respective articles published in the context of the subject. COP is found efficient in empowering global nations to be aligned with the objective of sustainable growth by making corrective negotiations and agreements as per the current and future environmental issues like the greenhouse effect and air pollution. COP helps ensure environmental issues are fixed by conducting benchmark index-based performance reviews and analyses. It has been observed that the agenda significantly contributes to the green economy, as it promotes sustainable change and development in the environment, society, and economy. A significant innovative strategy was developed at the conference to reduce global temperatures and emissions. In this context, the development of the EV sector plays a crucial role in mitigating environmental impact. The COP28 conference is addressing the climate and nature crisis, considering it a global health emergency. Methodology states that the literature search is conducted from peer-reviewed journal articles from authentic sources like Wiley’s Online Library and Science Direct Pages. Only the journals that were published after the year 2019 have been used in the study. Also, it is seen that COP28 (2023) conventions focused on global warming, climate change, and the production of a green economy, which is continuously being considered, and also, the implications and steps that are required to be taken are discussed.

With the rapid advancement of Remote Sensing Technology, monitoring the agricultural land has become a facile task. To surveil the growth of paddy crops and provide detailed information regarding monitoring soil, drought, crop type, crop growth, crop health, crop yield, irrigation, and fertilizers, different types of remote sensing satellites are used like Landsat 8, Sentinel 2, and MODIS satellite. The main aim of Landsat 8, Sentinel 2 and MODIS satellites is to monitor the land and vegetation area and to provide data regarding agricultural activities. Each of these satellites possesses a different spectral band, resolution, and revisit period. By using the remote sensing spectral indices, different types of vegetation indices are calculated. This survey paper provides comprehensive about Remote Sensing and the major parameters that influence for growth of paddy crops, like soil and water, and the future scope of agriculture and its demand in research is discussed.

The study presented aims to find the most appropriate climate dataset for the data-scarce Jalaur River Basin (JRB), Iloilo, Philippines, by evaluating the statistical performance of five rainfall datasets (APHRODITE, CPC NOAA, ERA5, SA-OBS, and PGF-V3) with resolutions of 0.25° and 0.5° having a time domain of 1981 to 2005. Bilinear interpolation implemented through Climate Data Operator (CDO) was used to extract and process grid climate datasets with Linear scaling as bias correction to minimize product simulation uncertainties. The datasets were compared to the lone meteorological station nearest to JRB investigated at monthly and annual timescales using six statistical metrics, namely, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of determination (R2), modified index of agreement (d1), Kling-Gupta efficiency, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR). The results indicate a strong positive correlation with the observed data for both rainfall and temperature (r > 0.8; R2, d1 > 0.80). Although graphical observation shows an underestimation of rainfall, goodness-of-fit values indicate very good model performance (NSE, KGE > 0.75; RSR < 0.50). In terms of temperature, variable responses are observed with significant overestimation for maximum temperature and underestimation for minimum temperature. SA-OBS proved to be the best-performing dataset, followed by ERA5 and PGF-V3. These key findings supply useful information in deciding the most appropriate gridded climate dataset for hydrometeorological investigation in the JRB and could enhance the regional representation of global datasets.

This study explores the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) using tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) catalyst-loaded gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs). The research explores the influence of electrolytic potential and catalyst loading on the efficiency of CO2 conversion to valuable chemicals, specifically formic acid and carbon monoxide. The best Sn loading for Sn-loaded GDEs, according to the morphological study, is 7 mg.cm-2, which results in higher current density (0.33 mA.cm-2) and current efficiency (36%). An electrolytic potential of -1.3 V Vs. Ag/AgCl is identified as optimal for Sn GDEs, offering a balance between high current efficiency (35%) and controlled current density. For Zn-loaded GDEs, an optimal loading of 5 mg.cm²- yields the highest current efficiency of 19.4% and a peak current density of 0.28 mA.cm²- at an electrolytic potential of -1.55 V Vs. Ag/AgCl, in addition to highlighting the crucial role that catalyst loading and electrolytic potential play in enhancing CO2 reduction efficiency, this research offers insightful information for environmentally friendly CO2 conversion technology.

The present work studied the effects of alkali pretreatment on the cellulosic biomass of rice straw. The improvement in the cellulose content and reduction in the lignin and hemicellulose percentage was observed with alkali pretreatment. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirm the modification in the surface structure of alkali rice straw. Further, the study investigated the potential of different types of seed sludge as inoculum sources for dark fermentative biohydrogen production. In comparison to other sludge samples (beverage industry, food industry, and sewage treatment plant sludge), the mixed culture of sewage treatment plant sludge had the highest cumulative volume of biohydrogen (90.52 mL), as well as the highest hydrogen production yield (0.75 moleH2/mole) with the substrate utilization of 86.72%. The results provide information on the best sludge source for enhancing biohydrogen production in the dark fermentation method.