Forward Osmosis is a suitable pretreatment process for reverse osmosis for secondary-treated sewage reuse and secondary-treated industrial effluents. In this study, the FO process is investigated for concentrating synthetic secondary treated tannery effluents using 24 g.L-1 and 38 g.L-1 of NaCl solution as draw solution. Results showed that 38 g.L-1 NaCl solution when used, provided higher flux and lower flux decline ratio as compared to 24 g.L-1 NaCl solution. The solute rejection by FO membrane was more in FO experiments using 38 g.L-1 NaCl solution as DS as compared to 24 g.L-1 NaCl solution. Contact angle, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electronic microscopy tests on pristine and chemically cleaned membranes indicated the change in membrane structure and the presence of foulants on the membrane surface, indicating insufficient chemical cleaning. Findings signify implications on the concentration of DS and the cleaning method adopted for concentrating treated tannery effluent efficaciously using the FO process.

Recently, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes have been considered as potential policies for solid waste management and many countries have applied them. Researchers, authorities, and producers need a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of EPR. Therefore, this literature review aims to review the current research status of EPR implementation on packaging, to highlight actual experiences conducting EPR, and to find research gaps. Results indicate that during the last 5 years, there has been an increase in the amount of research on EPR in packaging and that packaging waste recycling under this scheme is the most considered activity. Additionally, the primary metrics used to assess the efficacy of EPRs are recycling and reducing packaging waste. According to the lessons learned, applying EPR to packaging should take stakeholder engagement, policy design, transparency, and incentive strategy into account. Additionally, knowing the economic effectiveness problems small- and medium-sized packaging companies face, the effectiveness of EPR methods on various materials and geographical areas, and the efficacy of monitoring methods are the main areas that need to be researched.

A major global concern is the widespread environmental destruction caused by hydrocarbons, especially from the dumping of spent engine oil. Hydrocarbons are a major source of pollution in the environment and have an impact on agriculture, aquatic life, and soil fertility. The necessity of resolving this issue is highlighted by the detrimental impact on soil biocenosis and the potential conversion of soils into technogenic deserts. Due to high costs and polluting byproducts, the conventional approach of treating contaminated soil, sediment, and water is unsustainable. However, bioremediation, which makes use of biological agents like fungi and bacteria, appears to be a more practical and affordable solution. Microbial biosurfactants present a possible solution for environmental restoration due to their less harmful nature compared to chemical surfactants. This review highlights the green and sustainable nature of microbial biosurfactants while examining their advancements, biotechnological potentials, and future possibilities for bioremediation. The review also looks at the genetic basis and economic viability of biosurfactants for bioremediation applications. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the need for more studies in overcoming the challenges of large-scale application of biological surfactants for bioremediation of pollution and environmental restoration. As partners in nature, these bacteria aid in the breakdown of hydrocarbons, highlighting the need for industry and the environment to coexist sustainably. As biosurfactants are less harmful to the environment than chemical surfactants, they are more in line with the global trend toward sustainable methods and the use of natural processes for ecological restoration.

Due to rapid industrial growth and the increased economic status of people, water sources across the globe are being significantly polluted with a wide array of effluents. Industrial, agronomic, and customary activities have led to the repeated infestation of water by discarded materials. Consequently, there is an urgent need for advanced technologies to effectively eradicate these impurities from wastewater. Among the various methods established for wastewater remediation, the adsorption process has gained remarkable significance due to its efficiency and effectiveness. The use of nano adsorbents (NADs) represents an emerging solution to these environmental issues. NADs possess exceptional physical and chemical characteristics, which enhance their applicability compared to traditional adsorbents. Their advanced grade, prominence, and excellence in various arenas make them a superior choice for wastewater treatment. Recent explorations have shown that NADs, such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metal and metal oxide nano adsorbents, have a pronounced and favorable impact on wastewater treatment. The focus of this review article is to provide current data and insights into the use of NADs for wastewater remediation. It aims to highlight the benefits of these novel materials and to discuss the potential areas for further improvement in this field. By exploring the latest advancements and applications of NADs, this review seeks to contribute to the ongoing efforts to address the critical issue of water pollution and to promote sustainable water management practices.

Effective treatment of industrial wastewater effluents before discharging them to the soil and water bodies has always been one of the paramount environmental concerns. The pollutants in untreated wastewater effluents have hazardous implications for human health and the ecosystem. Conventional physical and chemical processes of industrial wastewater treatment have many complications and they often fall short in the treatment of new and diverse varieties of pollutants. Several microbial strains in nature have shown their remediation property, but they possess limited efficiency in breaking down pollutants into non-toxic components. Synthetic biology is a perfect amalgam of two fields – biological science and engineering, and it has transformed our ways of understanding the functioning of complex biological systems. Researchers have reported that some engineered microbes can achieve remediation efficiency of up to 100% in specific pollutants such as heavy metals and hydrocarbons. For example, microbes like Pseudomonas veronii have been shown to reduce cadmium concentrations by up to 100%, and Pseudomonas putida has been shown to reduce phenol concentrations by 92%. Synthetic biology-based biosensors are also being developed for pollution monitoring and control of industrial wastewater. In this review, we discuss these advancements of synthetically engineered microorganisms in the treatment of industrial wastewater.

Community Health Centers are small-scale hospitals that serve community medicine in Indonesia. These activities generate wastewater containing various contaminants, such as pathogens, chemicals, and nutrients, which can pollute the environment and endanger human health. So, efforts are needed to reduce their impact through wastewater treatment. This research applies an anaerobic-aerobic biofilter system with Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology combined with activated carbon and chlorine in treating wastewater. The treatments in the study were different service capacities and wastewater treatment, with three replicates in each treatment. The residence time of wastewater in the system is 4 h. The results showed that combining MBBR technology, activated carbon, and chlorine could reduce temperature, TSS, pH, BOD5, COD, NH3, and Coliform values in wastewater in three Community Health Center services. Thus, it can be concluded that the different services and wastewater treatment efforts, combined with MBBR, activated charcoal, and chlorine, have been proven to affect and improve the quality of wastewater from the Community Health Center to meet the effluent quality standards.

The present paper reports the results of experimental investigations performed to examine the feasibility of using fly ash (FA) and ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) geopolymers as barrier materials for waste containment facilities. The alkaline geopolymer is a blend of FA and GGBS with sodium hydroxide in concentrations varying from 1 to 5. The important properties of most barrier materials include strength and hydraulic conductivity. While FA can develop compressive strength through pozzolanic reactions, polymerized FA develops tensile strength. For the construction of barriers for landfills with higher heights, tensile strength assumes importance. To further improve the strength, FA can be amended with GGBS. Results indicate that the FA-GGBS mixture in the ratio of 40:60, when cured, exhibited higher strength at any molar concentration. Further, the hydraulic conductivity of the material, which is predominant for barriers in waste containment facilities, is studied. To examine the impact of the presence of heavy metals in the leachates, batch adsorption studies were executed on a 40% FA- 60% GGBS mixture. Leachate with nickel and lead were adapted for their retention within the barrier. It has been observed that the geopolymerized FA and GGBS can retain ionic metals. The retention capacity of heavy metals is due to their precipitation in the voids of the barrier material enabling further reduction in the hydraulic conductivity making geopolymer a sustainable barrier material.

Mycoremediation is classified as an inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and effective technique to reduce wastewater. Leiotrametes menziesii BRB 73 was one of the White Rot Fungi (WRF) that has the potential to degrade dyes. Suitable environmental conditions can optimize dye decolorization results. This study aims to investigate optimal environmental conditions such as time incubation, concentration of dyes, pH, CuSO4, and glucose concentration against decolorization of a mixture of direct dyes and enzyme activity (laccase and MnP). The mixture of commercial direct dyes used contains direct turquoise (DT), direct orange (DO), and direct yellow (DY) dyes. Decolorization was measured using a spectrophotometer at 400-700 nm. Laccase and MnP assay using ABTS and 2.6 DMP as substrate, respectively. The highest decolorization by Leiotrametes menziesii BRB 73 was produced at 54.3% at 96 hours and increased to 67% at a dye concentration of 500 mg.L-1. Meanwhile, the highest laccase and MnP activities were 215 U.L-1 and 39 U.L-1, respectively. pH range was quite wide, ranging from pH 5.5-9, supported by stable MnP activity from pH 3-7. CuSO4 inducers were not required for the decolorization of these dyes. Decolorization was optimal at the addition of 1% glucose, while enzyme activities were 0.5% glucose. Decolorization of dyes by Leiotrametes menziesii BRB 73 was indicated through degradation pathways involving laccase and MnP enzymes. This isolate has a high tolerance to dye concentrations, a wide pH range, and low carbon requirements. Thus, it was recommended as a mycoremediation agent.

The objective of this research was to determine an environmental management model that integrates social, economic, geographic, and community aspects to promote the growth of social capital among residents in the periphery area of Banjarmasin City. The analysis was conducted with 150 respondents selected through purposive sampling based on specific criteria. A quantitative descriptive method was adopted, and the structural model analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 3.0 software. The structural model analysis consisted of (a) formulation of the structural model theory, (b) analysis of the outer model, (c) analysis of the inner model, and (d) hypothesis testing. The field data analysis and calculations using SmartPLS 3.0 software showed an R² value of 0.855. The value showed that the economic, social, geographic, and community indicators could indeed contribute to the development of social capital, including norms, culture, perceptions, and behaviors among residents in the periphery area. Approximately 85.5% of the variation could be explained, while the remaining 14.5% might be influenced by other factors. In terms of the development of social capital, environmental management model was shown by (1) economic, with a T-statistic value of 2.627 and a P-value of 0.009, (2) geographic, with a T-statistic value of 1.982 and a P-value of 0.048, (3) community, with a T-statistic value of 4.211 and a P-value of 0.000, and (4) social with a T-statistic value of 2.057 and a P-value of 0.040. Since the T-statistic values exceeded the T-table threshold of 1.96, and the P-values were less than the significance level of 0.05, it could be concluded that economic, geographic, community, and social, environmental management in the periphery area served as valuable indicators for fostering the sustainable development of social capital among residents of Banjarmasin City.

The uncontrolled production of waste is a daily phenomenon that is experienced by most global communities, and the situation worsens due to the lack of effective waste management procedures. Solid waste such as sawdust is primarily produced by the forestry industry and although it is utilized by certain countries as briquettes to make fire or as an absorbent to clean fluid spillage as well as a component of ceilings, most of the sawdust along the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria is left unattended as waste, contributing to environmental pollution. Cellulose, composed of glucose units is a structural component of sawdust and when saccharified the resulting glucose can be fermented into renewable substances such as bio-ethanol. The cellulose degradation process can be performed with a cellulase enzyme such as available in the fungus Aspergillus niger and during the current investigation, this enzyme system was used to bio-convert the cellulose component of sawdust from ten different trees along the Lagoon into glucose. To increase the cellulase action all sawdust materials were delignified before cellulase action with the main aim of determining the optimum pH value for maximum degradation of the various sawdust materials. The pH-related saccharification profile of each type of sawdust was constructed as well as the relative percentage of saccharification and it was concluded that all the materials were optimum degraded at acidic pH-values which varied between pH 5.0 and pH 6.0 that are like optimum pH-values reported for the other types of cellulose materials.