Search results for: neutron contamination

Authors: Nicholas Sehube, Rosemary Kelebemang, Pogisego Dinake

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The extent of Pb contamination of shooting range soils has never been ascertained in Botswana, this was the first attempt in evaluating the deposition of Pb into the soils emanating from munitions. A total of 8 military shooting ranges were used for this study. Soil samples were collected at each of the 8 shooting ranges at the berm (stop butt), target line, 50 and 100 m from the berm. In all of the shooting ranges investigated the highest concentrations were found in the berm soils. The highest Pb concentrations of 38 406.87 mg/Kg were found in the berm soils of Thebephatshwa shooting range which is enclosed within a military camp with staff residential dwelling only a kilometre away. Most of the shooting ranges soils contained elevated levels of Pb in the ranges above 2000 mg/kg far exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) critical value of 400 mg/Kg. Mobilization of lead at high pH is attributed to low organic matter and such was the case with Thebephatshwa shooting range with a percept organic matter of 0.35±0.08. The predominant weathering products in these shooting ranges were cerussite (PbCO3), hydrocerussite (Pb(CO3)2(OH)2 and massicot (PbO). The detailed examination and characterization of the extent of pollution will help in the development and implementation of scientifically sound remediation and restoration of shooting ranges soils.

Keywords: ammunition, Botswana, Pb, pollution, soil

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Authors: Mehvish Bilal, Navneet Singh, Jasir Mushtaq

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Water pollution puts people's health at risk, and it can also impact the ecology. For practitioners of integrated water resources management (IWRM), water quality modelling may be useful for informing decisions about pollution control (such as discharge permitting) or demand management (such as abstraction permitting). To comprehend the current pollutant load, movement of effective load movement of contaminants generates effective relation between pollutants, mathematical simulation, source, and water quality is regarded as one of the best estimating tools. The current study involves the Qual2k model, which includes manual simulation of the various physiochemical characteristics of water. To this end, various sensors could be installed for the automatic simulation of various physiochemical characteristics of water. An artificial intelligence model has been proposed for the automatic simulation of water quality parameters. Models of water quality have become an effective tool for identifying worldwide water contamination, as well as the ultimate fate and behavior of contaminants in the water environment. Water quality model research is primarily conducted in Europe and other industrialized countries in the first world, where theoretical underpinnings and practical research are prioritized.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, QUAL2K, simulation, physiochemical parameters

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Authors: D. Naresh Yadav, K. Anand Kishore, Bhaskar Bethi, Shirish H. Sonawane, D. Bhagawan

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The untreated industrial wastewater discharged into the environment causes the contamination of soil, water and air. Advanced treatment methods for enhanced wastewater treatment are attracting substantial interest among the currently employed unit processes in wastewater treatment. The textile industry is one of the predominant in wastewater production at current industrialized situation. The refused dyes at textile industry need to be treated in proper manner before its discharge into water bodies. In the present investigation, hybrid treatment process has been developed for the treatment of synthetic mixed dye wastewater. Photocatalysis and ceramic nanoporous membrane are mainly used for process integration to minimize the fouling and increase the flux. Commercial semiconducting powders (TiO2 and ZnO) has used as a nano photocatalyst for the degradation of mixed dye in the hybrid system. Commercial ceramic nanoporous tubular membranes have been used for the rejection of dye and suspended catalysts. Photocatalysis with catalyst has shown the average of 34% of decolorization (RB-32%, BG-34% and CR-36%), whereas ceramic nanofiltration has shown the 56% (RB-54%, BG-56% and CR-58%) of decolorization. Integration of photocatalysis and ceramic nanofiltration has shown 96% (RB-94%, BG-96% and CR-98%) of dye decolorization over 90 min of operation.

Keywords: photocatalysis, ceramic nanoporous membrane, wastewater treatment, advanced oxidation process, process integration

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Authors: Lesa A. Thompson, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Victor Wepener, Mayumi Ishizuka

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One method for controlling malaria in endemic regions is the killing of vector mosquitoes using pesticides such as DDT in indoor residual spraying (IRS). This study was carried out to investigate the presence of and human health risk due to DDT and its metabolites (collectively, DDTs) contaminating human food sources in areas where DDT is used for IRS. Free-range chicken products (meat and eggs) were collected from homesteads in KwaZulu-Natal Province in the northeast of South Africa, and fish meat samples from Maputo Bay in neighbouring Mozambique. Samples were analysed for DDTs (o,p’-DDT, p,p’-DDT, o,p’-DDD, p,p’-DDD, o,p’-DDE and p,p’-DDE) using a gas chromatograph with electron capture detector (GC-ECD). DDTs were detected in all food types, with the predominant congener being p,p’-DDE. The presence of p,p’-DDT confirmed recent release of DDT into the environment. By using concentration levels detected in foods and national consumption levels, the risk to human health through consumption of such food products was calculated. In order of risk level, these were: chicken eggs > chicken meat > fish meat. Human risk (carcinogenic) values greater than one suggest there is an increased health risk through consumption of these foods.

Keywords: DDT, food contamination, human health risk, Mozambique, South Africa

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Authors: E. Osazee, L. U. Bashir

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This study was conducted at the Department of Biological Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria, to determine the effects of different weights of cow dung on indigenous bacterial isolates in remediation of crude oil contaminated soils. The soil (1kg) was contaminated with 20g of crude oil and this was treated with three (40g, 80g and 120g) weights of cow dung. The soils were amended after two weeks of crude oil contamination. Soil samples were collected from the plastic bags for microbiological analyses. The isolates were cultured to test their ability to grow on crude oil. The ability of the isolates to utilize the crude oil was determined using media dilution technique. Bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus lacterosporus, Morganella morganii, Serratia marcescens and Bacillus alvei were isolated. The variables measured were heterotrophic bacterial populations, hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial populations and the percentage of crude oil degraded in the soils. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results obtained indicated that all the different weights of cow dung showed appreciable effect in crude oil decontamination. Based on the findings of the experiments, it could be deduced that 120g of cow dung promoted higher degradation of hydrocarbons. Thus, it should be recommended for remediation of crude oil contaminated soil in the study area.

Keywords: crude oil, cow dung, amendment, bioremediation, decontamination

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Authors: Ahmed Mohamed Nasr, Waseim Ragab Azzam, Nada Osama Ramadan

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Contaminated soil can weaken the stability of buildings and infrastructure, posing serious risks to their structural integrity. Therefore, this study aims to understand how oil contamination affects the torsion behavior of model steel piles at different soil densities. This research is crucial for evaluating the structural integrity and stability of piles in oil-contaminated environments. Clean sand samples and heavy motor oil were mixed in amounts ranging from 0 to 6% of the soil's dry weight. The mixture was thoroughly mixed to ensure uniform distribution of the oil throughout the sandy soil for simulating the field conditions. In these investigations, the relative densities (Dr), pile slenderness ratio (Lp/Dp), oil content (O.C%), and contaminated sand layer thickness (LC) were all different. Also, the paper presents an analysis of piles that are loaded both vertically and torsionally. The findings demonstrated that the pre-applied torsion load led to a decrease in the vertical bearing ability of the pile. Also, at Dr = 80%, the ultimate vertical load under combined load at constant torsional load T = (1/3Tu, 2/3Tu, and Tu) in the cases of (Lc/Lp) = 0.5 and (Lp/Dp) =13.3 was found to be reduced by (1.48, 2.78, and 4.15%) less than piles under independent vertical load, respectively so it is crucial to consider the torsion load during pile design.

Keywords: torsion-vertical load, oil-contaminated sand, twist angle, steel pile

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Authors: Sara Boulmai̇z

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In order to study the microbiological quality of chawarma sold in Biskra, a sampling through some fastfoods of the city was done, the parameters studied are highlighted according to the criteria required by the country's trade management. Microbiological analyzes revealed different levels of contamination by microorganisms. The 10 samples were of an overall view of unsatisfactory quality, and according to the standards, no sample was satisfactory. The range of total aerobic mesophilic flora found is between 105 and 1.2 × 10 7 CFU / g, that of fecal coliforms is 104 to 2.4 × 10 5 CFU / g. The suspected pathogenic staphylococci were between 3.103 and 2.7.106 CFU / g. Salmonellae were absent in all samples, whereas sulphite-reducing anaerobes were present in a single sample. The rate of E. cloacae was between 103 and 6.104 CFU / g. As for fungi and safe mice, their rate was 103 to 107 CFU / g. The study of the sensitivity of antibiotics showed multi-resistance to all the antibiotics tested, although there is a sensitivity towards others. All strains of Staphylococcus aureus tested demonstrated resistance against erythromycin, 30% against streptomycin, and 10% against tetracycline. While the strains of E. cloacae were resistant in all strains to amoxicillin, ceftazidime, cefotaxime, and erythromycin, while they were sensitive to fosfomycin, sulfamethoxazole trimethoperine, ciprofloxacin, and tetracycline. While against chlorophenicol and ofloxacin, the sensitivity was dominant, although there was intermediate resistance. In this study demonstrates that foodborne illnesses remain a problem that arises in addition to the increasingly observed bacterial resistance and that, after all, healthy eating is a right.

Keywords: chawarma, microbiological quality, pathogens., street food

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Authors: Bulent Topcuoglu

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Repeated amendments of organic matter and intensive use of fertilizers, metal-enriched chemicals and biocides may cause soil and environmental pollution in greenhouses. Specially, the impact of heavy metal pollution of soils on food metal content and underground water quality has become a public concern. Due to potential toxicity of heavy metals to human life and environment, determining the chemical form of heavy metals in greenhouse soils is an important approach of chemical characterization and can provide useful information on its mobility and bioavailability. A sequential extraction procedure was used to estimate the availability of heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Cr) in greenhouse soils of Antalya Aksu. Zn was predominantly associated with Fe-Mn oxide fraction, major portion of Cd associated with carbonate and organic matter fraction, a major portion of (>65 %) Ni and Cr were largely associated with Fe-Mn oxide and residual fractions and Pb was largely associated with organic matter and Fe-Mn oxide fractions. Results of the present study suggest that the mobility and bioavailability of metals probably increase in the following order: Cr < Pb < Ni < Cd < Zn. Among the elements studied, Zn and Cd appeared to be the most readily soluble and potentially bioavailable metals and these metals may carry a potential risk for metal transfer in food chain and contamination to ground water.

Keywords: metal speciation, metal mobility, greenhouse soils, biosystems engineering

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Authors: A. H. Tadevosyan, S. K. Mayrapetyan, N. B. Tavakalyan, K. I. Pyuskyulyan, A. H. Hovsepyan, S. N. Sergeeva

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Soil contamination with radiocesium has a long-term radiological impact due to its long physical half-life (30.1 years for 137Cs and 2 years for 134Cs) and its high biological availability. 137Cs causes the largest concerns because of its deleterious effect on agriculture and stock farming, and, thus, human life for decades. One of the important aspects of the problem of contaminated soils remediation is understand of protective actions aimed at the reduction of biological migration of radionuclides in soil-plant system. The most effective way to bind radionuclides is the use of selective sorbents. The proposed research mainly aims to achieve control on transfer of 137Cs in a system growing media–plant due to counter ions variation in the polymeric sorbents. As the research object, Japanese basil-Perilla frutescens was chosen. Productivity of plants depending on the presence (control-without presence of polymer) and type of polymer material, as well as content of 137Cs in plant material has been determined. The character of different polymers influences on the 137Cs migration in growing media–plant system as well as accumulation in the plants has been cleared up.

Keywords: radioceaseum, Japanese basil, polymer, soil-plant system

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Authors: Bisi-Johnson, Mary A., Hamzart A. Oyelade, Kehinde A. Adediran, Saheed A. Akinola

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Geophagic and cosmetic clays are among potential nano-material which occur naturally and are of various forms. The use of these nano-clays is a common practice in both rural and urban areas mostly due to tradition and medicinal reasons. These naturally occurring materials can be valuable sources of nano-material by serving as nano-composites. The need to ascertain the safety of these materials is the motivation for this research. Physical Characterization based on the hue value and microbiological qualities of the nano-clays were carried out. The Microbial analysis of the clay samples showed considerable contamination with both bacteria and fungi with fungal contaminants taking the lead. This observation may not be unlikely due to the ability of fungi species to survive harsher growth conditions than bacteria. 'Atike pupa' showed no bacterial growth. The clay with the largest bacterial count was Calabash chalk (Igbanke), while that with the highest fungal count was 'Eko grey'. The most commonly isolated bacteria in this study were Clostridium spp. and Corynebacterium spp. while fungi included Aspergillus spp. These results are an indication of the need to subject these clay materials to treatments such as heating before consumption or topical usage thereby ascertaining their safety.

Keywords: nano-material, clay, microorganism, quality

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Authors: A. Aly Salwa, H. Diekmann, S. Hafiz Ragaa, DG Abo Elhassan

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This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of Milbond (HSCAS) on aflatoxin M1 in artificially contaminated cows milk. Chemisorption compounds used in this experiment were MIlBond, hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS). Raw cow milk were artificially exposed to aflatoxin M1 in a concentration of 100 ppb) with addition of Nilbond at 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 % at room temperature for 30 minutes. Aflatoxin M1 was decreased more than 95% by HSCAS at 2%. Milk composition consist of protein, fat, lactose, solid non fat and total solid were affected by addition of some adsorbents were not significantly affected (p 0.05). Tthis method did not involve degrading the toxin, milk may be free from toxin degradation products and is safe for consumption. In addition, the added material may be easily separated from milk after the substance adsorbs the toxin. Thus, this method should be developed by further researches for determining effects of these compounds on functional properties of milk. The ability of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate to prevent or reduce the level of aflatoxin MI residues in milk is critically needed. This finding has important implications, because milk is ultimately consumed by humans and animals, and the reduction of aflatoxin contamination in the milk could have an important impact on their health.

Keywords: aflatoxin M1, Hydrated sodium calcium aluminium silicate, detoxification, raw cow milk

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Authors: Abdelkader T. Ahmed

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Phosphate Rocks (PR) are natural sediment rocks. These rocks contain several chemical compositions of heavy metals and radioactive elements. Mining and transportation these rocks beside or through the natural water streams may lead to water contamination. When PR is in contact with water in the field, as a consequence of precipitation events, changes in water table or sinking in water streams, elements such as salts and heavy metals, may be released to the water. In this work, the leaching properties of PR in Nile River water was investigated by experimental lab work. The study focused on evaluating potential environmental impacts of some constituents, including phosphors, cadmium, curium and lead of PR on the water quality of Nile by applying tank leaching tests. In these tests the potential impact of changing conditions, such as phosphate content in PR, liquid to solid ratio (L/S) and pH value, was studied on the long-term release of heavy metals and salts. Experimental results showed that cadmium and lead were released in very low concentrations but curium and phosphors were in high concentrations. Results showed also that the release rate from PR for all constituents was low even in long periods.

Keywords: leaching tests, Nile river, phosphate rocks, water quality

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Authors: T. Varazi, M. Pruidze, M. Kurashvili, N. Gagelidze, M. Sutton

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The complex phytoremediation approach given in the presented work implies joint application of natural sorbents, microorganisms, natural biosurfactants and plants. The approach is based on using the natural mineral composites, microorganism strains with high detoxification abilities, plants-phytoremediators and natural biosurfactants for enhancing the uptake of intermediates of pollutants by plant roots. In this complex strategy of phytoremediation technology, the sorbent serves to uptake and trap the pollutants and thus restrain their emission in the environment. The role of microorganisms is to accomplish the first stage biodegradation of organic contaminants. This is followed by application of a phytoremediation technology through purposeful planting of selected plants. Thus, using of different tools will provide restoration of polluted environment and prevention of toxic compounds’ dissemination from hotbeds of pollution for a considerable length of time. The main idea and novelty of the carried out work is the development of a new approach for the ecological safety. The wide spectrum of contaminants: Organochlorine pesticide – DDT, heavy metal –Cu, oil hydrocarbon (hexadecane) and wax have been used in this work. The presented complex biotechnology is important from the viewpoint of prevention, providing total rehabilitation of soil. It is unique to chemical pollutants, ecologically friendly and provides the control of erosion of soils.

Keywords: bioremediation, phytoremediation, pollutants, soil contamination

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Authors: A. Dali-Ali, F. Agag, H. Beldjilali, A. Oukebdane, K. Meddeber, R. Dali-Yahia, N. Midoun

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The ability of Acinetobacter baumannii to develop multiple resistances towards to the majority of antibiotics explains the therapeutic difficulties encountered in severe infections. Furthermore, its persistence in the humid or dry environment promotes cross-contamination in intensive care units. The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiological and bacterial resistance profiles of hospital-acquired infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in the intensive care unit of our teaching hospital. During the study period (June 3, 2012 to December 31, 2013), 305 patients having duration of hospitalization equal or more than 48 hours were included in the study. Among these, 36 had developed, at least, one health-care associated infection caused by Acinetobacter baumannii. The rate of infected patients was equal to 11.8% (36/305). The rate of cumulative incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia was the highest (9.2%) followed by central venous catheter infection (1.3%). Analysis of the various antibiotic resistance profile shows that 93.8% of the strains were resistant to imipenem. The nosocomial infection control committee set up a special program not only to reduce the high rates of incidence of these infections but also to descrease the rate of imipenem resistance.

Keywords: Acinetobacer baumannii, epidemiological profile, hospital acquired infections, intensive care unit

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Authors: Nada Al-Qallaf, Aisha Al-Barood, Djamel Lekmine, Srinivasan Vedhapuri

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Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) under the supervision of Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) is planning to remediate 26 million (M) m3 of oil-contaminated soil in oil fields of Kuwait as a direct and indirect fallout of the Gulf War during 1990-1991. This project is funded by the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) under the Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP). Oil-contamination of the soil occurred due to the destruction of the oil wells and spilled crude oil across the land surface and created ‘oil lakes’ in low lying land. Aerial fall-out from oil spray and combustion products from oil fires combined with the sand and gravel on the ground surface to form a layer of hardened ‘Tarcrete’. The unique fresh groundwater lenses present in the Raudhatain and Sabriya subsurface areas had been impacted by the discharge and/or spills of dissolved petroleum constituents. These fresh groundwater aquifers were used for drinking water purposes until 1990, prior to invasion. This has significantly damages altered the landscape, ecology and habitat of the flora and fauna and in Kuwait Desert. Under KERP, KOC is fully responsible for the planning and execution of the remediation and restoration projects in KOC oil fields. After the initial recommendation of UNCC to construct engineered landfills for containment and disposal of heavily contaminated soils, two landfills were constructed, one in North Kuwait and another in South East Kuwait of capacity 1.7 million m3 and 0.5 million m3 respectively. KOC further developed the Total Remediation Strategy in conjunction with KNFP and has obtained UNCC approval. The TRS comprises of elements such as Risk Based Approach (RBA), Bioremediation of low Contaminated Soil levels, Remediation Treatment Technologies, Sludge Disposal via Beneficial Recycling or Re-use and Engineered landfills for Containment of untreatable materials. Risk Based Assessment as a key component to avoid any unnecessary remedial works, where it can be demonstrated that human health and the environment are sufficiently protected in the absence of active remediation. This study demonstrates on the risks of tarcrete materials spread over areas 20 Km2 on the fresh Ground water lenses/catchment located beneath the Sabriyah and Raudhatain oil fields in North Kuwait. KOC’s primary objective is to provide justification of using RBA, to support a case with the Kuwait regulators to leave the tarcrete material in place, rather than seek to undertake large-scale removal and remediation. The large-scale coverage of the tarcrete in the oil fields and perception that the residual contamination associated with this source is present in an environmentally sensitive area essentially in ground water resource. As part of this assessment, conceptual site model (CSM) and complete risk-based and fate and transport modelling was carried out which includes derivation of site-specific assessment criteria (SSAC) and quantification of risk to identified waters resource receptors posed by tarcrete impacted areas. The outcome of this assessment was determined that the residual tarcrete deposits across the site area shall not create risks to fresh groundwater resources and the remedial action to remove and remediate the surficial tarcrete deposits is not warranted.

Keywords: conceptual site model, fresh groundwater, oil-contaminated soil, tarcrete, risk based assessment

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Authors: D. R. Masvodza, G. Coetzer, E. van der Watt

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Microorganisms usually have a prolific growth nature and may cause major problems on in-vitro cultures. For in vitro propagation to be successful explants need to be sterile. In order to determine the best sterilization method for potato explants cv. Amerthyst, five sterilization methods were applied separately to 24 shoots. The first sterilization method was the use of 20% sodium hypochlorite with 1 ml Tween 20 for 15 minutes. The second, third and fourth sterilization methods were the immersion of explants in 70% ethanol in a beaker for either 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2 minutes, followed by 1% sodium hypochlorite with 1 ml Tween 20 for 5 minutes. For the control treatment, no chemicals were used. Finally, all the explants were rinsed three times with autoclaved distilled water and trimmed to 1-2 cm. Explants were then cultured on MS medium with 0.01 mg L-1 NAA and 0.1 mg L-1 GA3 and supplemented with 2 mg L-1 D-calcium pentothenate. The trial was laid out as a complete randomized design, and each treatment combination was replicated 24 times. At 7, 14 and 21 days after culture, data on explant color, survival, and presence or absence of contamination was recorded. Best results were obtained when 20% sodium hypochlorite was used with 1 ml Tween 20 for 15 minutes which is sterilization method 1. Method 2 was comparable to method 1 when explants were cultured in glass vessels. Explants in glass vessels were significantly less contaminated than explants in polypropylene vessel. Therefore at times, ideal methods for sterilization should be coupled with ideal culture conditions such as good quality culture vessel, rather than the addition of more stringent sterilants.

Keywords: culture containers, explants, sodium hypochlororite, sterilization

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Authors: Joshua I. Izegaegbe, Femi F. Oloye, Catherine E. Nasiru

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This study determined the level of manganese, zinc, copper, and nickel in the liver and muscle of the African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus from Ilushi River, Edo State, Nigeria with a view to determining the extent of contamination. Heavy metal determination of digested fish samples was done using the atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The results show that the muscles and livers were contaminated to varying levels with the presence of some non-metallic elements. The heavy metal load revealed that zinc had the highest mean concentration of 0.217±0.008µg/g in liver and 0.130±0.006µg/g in muscle, while copper recorded the least concentration in liver 0.063±0.004µg/g and 0.027±0.003µg/gin muscle. The distribution of the heavy metals in the muscles and livers of Clarias gariepinus showed significant variations and the results also revealed that the concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cu,Ni and Mn) found in the liver was higher than those found in the muscle. This indicates that the liver is a better accumulator of heavy metal in Clarias gariepinus than the muscles. On comparison with WHO/FAO/FEPA/USFDA standards, the study shows that the concentrations of heavy metals in liver and muscle were within permissible limits safe for human consumption.

Keywords: clarias gariepinus, heavy metals, liver, muscle

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Authors: Sara Mouffouk, Fatma Belaid, Asma Hechani, Chaima Mouffouk

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Cancer of the cervix caused by HPV (human papillomavirus ) is for many years a real public health problem, it is ranked 2nd deadly female cancer kills more than 270 000 women each year worldwide. In Algeria, the mortality of cervical cancer decreases with the impact, but the prognosis of these cancers remains bleak: The 5-year relative survival is 60 %. The mode of transmission is usually sexuel. Our study was undertaken to show the link between HPV and cervical cancer and the importance of Pap smear screening in this type of pathology. On the total sample, 76.11 % showed abnormal cervical smears of which 13% have mild cases and hormonal reaction Change, and 44% represent inflammatory smears and normal cases 35%, while long seven years from 2005 to 2012. Thus, 43% of abnormal smear results between ASCUS, AGUS, low and high grade carcinoma and adenocarcinoma and 57 % of other cases of unknown origin. The average age of women at risk of developing adenocarcinoma is 45-50 with a 67% to 33% of the same risk in women of age group 41-45 years although the percentage of cases of HPV infected patients was 2% in the past seven years. We found that with increasing age, the risk is argued. Due to several factors such as multiparty can reduced the resistance of the uterine epithelium and even as the multi that promotes contamination HPV causes repeated infections with HPV.

Keywords: cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) screening, prevention, vaccines

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Authors: Khalifa Abdunaser

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This study investigated the effects of oil contamination due to pro-duced water leaks that created lakes decades ago, as well as the extent of its im-pact on altering the geotechnical characteristics of the soil, which could act as a barrier to groundwater access The concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), which is the main component in the contaminated soil, was measured using a variety of analyses. Additionally, some extensive laboratory tests were performed to examine the effects on the soil's geotechnical properties, including particle size distribution, shear strength, consistency limits, specific gravity, and permeability coefficient. A clear decrease in TPH concentration was observed with increasing depth, and it is expected to end within only a few meters. It was found that there is a signifi-cant effect of this pollutant on the size of the soil particles, which led to them be-coming coarser than the uncontaminated soil particles. Moreover, it causes a de-crease in fluid and plastic boundaries, as well as an increase in cohesion between soil particles. However, the angle of internal friction decreases with the increase in the content of petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil samples. It came to light that determining the permeability coefficient as one of the physical characteristics of the most important factors responsible for the passage of pollutants in the groundwater, as it showed an obvious reduction in the permeability, which is the main reason dealt as an obstacle to the arrival of oil pollutants to the groundwater.

Keywords: TPH, specific gravity, oil lake, Libya

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Authors: Parvaneh Hajeb, Shahram Shakibazadeh, Md. Zaidul Islam Sarker

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High-quality fish oil for human consumption requires low levels of toxic elements. The aim of this study was to develop a method to extract oil from fish wastes with the least toxic elements contamination. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was applied to detoxify fish oils from toxic elements. The SFE unit used consisted of an intelligent HPLC pump equipped with a cooling jacket to deliver CO2. The freeze-dried fish waste sample was extracted by heating in a column oven. Under supercritical conditions, the oil dissolved in CO2 was separated from the supercritical phase using pressure reduction. The SFE parameters (pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate, and extraction time) were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) to extract the highest levels of toxic elements. The results showed that toxic elements in fish oil can be reduced using supercritical CO2 at optimum pressure 40 MPa, temperature 61 ºC, CO2 flow rate 3.8 MPa, and extraction time 4.25 hr. There were significant reductions in the mercury (98.2%), cadmium (98.9%), arsenic (96%), and lead contents (99.2%) of the fish oil. The fish oil extracted using this method contained elements at levels that were much lower than the accepted limits of 0.1 μg/g. The reduction of toxic elements using the SFE method was more efficient than that of the conventional methods due to the high selectivity of supercritical CO2 for non-polar compounds.

Keywords: food safety, toxic elements, fish oil, supercritical carbon dioxide

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Authors: Lormaine Anne Branzuela, Elysa Largo, Julie Marisol Pagalilauan, Neil Concibido, Monet Concepcion Detras

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Energy is a necessity both for the people and the country. The demand for energy is continually increasing, but the supply is not doing the same. The reopening of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in the Philippines has been circulating in the media for the current time. The general public has been hesitant in accepting the inclusion of nuclear energy in the Philippine energy mix due to perceived unsafe conditions of the plant. This study evaluated the possible operations of a nuclear power plant, which is of the same type as the BNPP, considering the safety of the workers, the public, and the environment using a Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) method. What-If Technique was utilized to identify the hazards and consequences on the operations of the plant, together with the level of risk it entails. Through the brainstorming sessions of the PHA team, it was found that the most critical system on the plant is the primary system. Possible leakages on pipes and equipment due to weakened seals and welds and blockages on coolant path due to fouling were the most common scenarios identified, which further caused the most critical scenario – radioactive leak through sump contamination, nuclear meltdown, and equipment damage and explosion which could result to multiple injuries and fatalities, and environmental impacts.

Keywords: process safety management, process hazard analysis, what-If technique, nuclear power plant

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Authors: S. Pradhan, D. Pradhan, G. Tripathy, T. Dasmohapatra

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Suppressors of cytokine signalling (SOCS3), a newly indentified anti-apoptotic molecule is a downstream effecter of the receptor tyrosine kinase-Ras signalling pathway. Current study has uncovered that SOCS3 may have wide and imperative capacities, particularly because of its close correlation with malignant tumors. To investigate the impact of SOCS3 on MDR, we analyzed the expression of P-gp and SOCS3 by immune-histochemistry and found there was positive correlation between them. At that point we effectively interfered with RNA translation by the contamination of siRNA of SOCS3 into MCF7/ADM breast cancer cell lines through a lentivirus, and the expression of the target gene was significantly inhibited. After RNAi the drug resistance was reduced altogether and the expression of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp in MCF7/ADM cell lines demonstrated a significant decrease. Likewise the expression of P53 protein increased in a statistically significant manner (p ≤ 0.01) after RNAi exposure. Moreover, flowcytometry analysis uncovers that cell cycle and anti-apoptotic enhancing capacity of cells changed after RNAi treatment. These outcomes proposed SOCS3 may take part in breast cancer MDR by managing MDR1 and P53 expression, changing cell cycle and enhancing the anti-apoptotic ability.

Keywords: SOCS3gene, breast cancer, multidrug resistance, MDR1 gene, RNA interference

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Authors: Maria Brás

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The main purpose of the presentation is to identify the impacts and appropriate measures to prevent potential attacks, or minimize the risk of an attack in tourist destination. Terrorism has been growing in the shadow of unpredictability, however, is possible to minimize the danger of a terrorist attack by doing the: (1) recognition; (2); evaluation; (3) avoidance; (4) threat reduction. The vulnerability of tourism industry to terrorism is an undeniable fact, and terrorists know it. They use this advantage attacking tourists for very specific reasons, such as the: (1) international coverage by the media, “if it bleeds it leads” ; (2) chances of getting different nationalities at the same place and time; (3) possibility of destroyed the economy of a destination, or destinations (“terrorism contamination effect”), through the reduction of tourist demand; (4) psychological, and social disruption based on fear of negative consequences. Security incidents, such as terrorism, include different preventive measures that can be conducted in partnership with: tourism industry (hotels, airports, tourist attractions, among others); central government; public and/or private sector; local community; and media. The recovery strategies must be based on the dissemination of positive information to the media; in creating new marketing strategies that emphasize the social and cultural values of the destination; encourage domestic tourism; get government, or state, financial support.

Keywords: terrorism, tourism, safety, security, impacts, prevention, recovery

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: B. Raghu, Shashi Vemuri, Ch. Sreenivasa Rao

Abstract:

The survey on pesticide use pattern was carried out by interviewing farmers growing chill in open fields and poly houses based on the questionnaire prepared to assess their knowledge and practices on crop cultivation, general awareness on pesticide recommendations and use. Education levels of poly house farmers are high compared to open field farmers, where 57.14% poly house farmers are high school educated, whereas 35% open field farmers are illiterates. Majority farmers use nursery of 35 days and grow in <0.5 acre poly house in summer and rabi and < 1 acre in open field during kharif. Awareness on pesticide related issues is varying among poly house and open field farmers with some commonality, where 28.57% poly house farmers know about recommended pesticides while only 10% open field farmers are aware of this issue. However, in general, all farmers contact pesticide dealer for recommendations, poly house farmers prefer to contact scientists (35.71%) and open field farmers prefer to contact agricultural officers (33.33). Most farmers are unaware about pesticide classification and toxicity symbols on packing. Farmers are aware about endosulfan ban, but only 21.42% poly house and 11.66% open field farmers know about ban of monocrotofos on vegetables. Very few farmers know about pesticide residues and related issues, but know washing helps to reduce contamination.

Keywords: open field, pesticide usage, polyhouses, residues survey

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Authors: Ulli Heinlein, Thomas Freimann

Abstract:

Pre-applied bonded membranes are used as positive-side waterproofing on concrete basements, are installed before the concrete work, and achieve a tear-resistant and waterproof bond with the subsequently placed fresh concrete. This bond increases redundancy compared to lose waterproofing membranes by preventing lateral water migrations in the event of damage. So far, the membranes have been tested in the laboratory, but it is not yet known how they behave on construction sites in the presence of dirt, soil, cement paste or moisture. This article, therefore, conducts investigations on six construction sites using 18 test slabs where the pre-applied bonded membranes are selectively contaminated or wetted. Subsequently, cores are taken, and the influence of the contaminations on the adhesive tensile strength and waterproof bond is tested. Pre-applied bonded membranes with smooth or granular but closed surfaces show no sensitivity to wetness, whereas open-pored membranes with nonwovens do not tolerate standing water. Contaminations decline the performance of all pre-applied bonded membranes since a separating layer is formed between the bonding layer and the concrete. The influence depends on the thickness of the contamination and its mechanical properties.

Keywords: waterproofing, positive-side waterproofing, basement, pre-applied bonded waterproofing membrane, In-situ testing, lateral water migrations

Procedia PDF Downloads 173

Authors: Arturo Maldonado

Abstract:

In the iron ore mining industry, the intact strength of rock units is defined using the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). This parameter is very important for the classification of shale materials, allowing the split between rock and cohesive soils based on the magnitude of UCS. For this research, it is assumed that UCS less than or equal to 1 MPa is representative of soils. Several researchers have anticipated that the magnitude of UCS reduces with weathering progression, also since UCS is a directional property, its magnitude depends upon the rock fabric orientation. Thus, the paper presents how the UCS of shales is affected by both weathering grade and bedding orientation. The mineralogy of shales has been defined using Hyper-spectral and chemical assays to define the mineral constituents of shale and other non-shale materials. Geological classification tools have been used to define distinct lithological types, and in this manner, the author uses mineralogical datasets to recognize and isolate shales from other rock types and develop tertiary plots for fresh and weathered shales. The mineralogical classification of shales has reduced the contamination of lithology types and facilitated the study of the physical factors affecting the intact strength of shales, like anisotropic strength due to bedding orientation. The analysis of mineralogical characteristics of shales is perhaps the most important contribution of this paper to other researchers who may wish to explore similar methods.

Keywords: rock mechanics, mineralogy, shales, weathering, anisotropy

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Authors: Mishell Vaca, Gema Gonzales, Francisco Quiroz

Abstract:

Heavy metals present in wastewater constitute a danger for living beings in general. In Ecuador, one of the sources of contamination is artisanal mining whose liquid effluents, in many of the cases without prior treatment, are discharged to the surrounding rivers. Lead is a pollutant that accumulated in the body causes severe health effects. Nowadays, there are several treatment methods to reduce this pollutant. The aim of this study is to reduce the concentration of lead II through the use of a porous material formed by a matrix of chitosan, in which hydroxyapatite and moringa particles smaller than 53 um are suspended. These materials are not toxic to the environment, and each one adsorbs metals independently, so the synergic effect between them will be evaluated. The synthesized material has a cylindrical design that allows increasing the surface area, which is expected to have greater capacity of adsorption. It has been determined that the best conditions for its preparation are to dissolve the chitosan in 1% v/v acetic acid with a pH = 5, then the hydroxyapatite and moringa are added to the mixture with magnetic stirring. This suspension is frozen, lyophilized and finally dried. In order to evaluate the performance of the synthesized material, synthetic solutions of lead are prepared at different concentrations, and the percentage of removal is evaluated. It is expected to have an effluent whose lead content is less than 0.2 mg/L which is the limit maximum allowable according to established environmental standards.

Keywords: adsorption, chitosan, hydroxyapatite, lead, moringa, water treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 145

Authors: Raana Babadi Fathipour

Abstract:

Ice cream is a nutritious dairy product that, given its constituent materials and high nutritional value, is a suitable growth medium for the growth of various food microorganisms. The contamination of this product with pathogenic microorganisms may cause food poisoning and infections, and so could be harmful to human health. The foremost critical pathogenic microscopic organisms of ice cream incorporate Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus. Biosensor technology, albeit a recent addition to the dairy industry, has proven its worth in other fields, such as medical devices. Through numerous studies, the advantages of employing biosensors have consistently emerged. These incredible tools present expeditious and straightforward means while specifically targeting analytes. Thus, they bring forth unparalleled solutions that bolster ongoing advancements within dairy products and processes. This review delves into the latest developments in the realm of biosensors and evaluates the diverse techniques of bio-recognition and transduction in terms of their benefits, drawbacks, and relevance to traditional ice cream. Furthermore, the obstacles that impede the progress of these approaches in meeting the growing need for swift and real-time quality control of milk products, particularly ice cream, are also expounded upon.

Keywords: traditional ice cream, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, biosensors

Procedia PDF Downloads 62

Authors: Funmilola O. Omoya

Abstract:

Muscid flies are known to be vectors of disease agents and species that annoy humans and domesticated animals. An example of these flies is Musca domestica (house fly) whose adult and immature stages occur in a variety of filthy organic substances including household garbage and animal manures. They contribute to microbial contamination of foods. It is therefore imperative to control these flies as a result of their role in Public health. The second and third instars of Musca domestica (Linn) were infected with varying cell loads of Bacillus subtilis in vitro for a period of 48 hours to evaluate its larvicidal activities. Mortality of the larvae increased with incubation period after treatment with the varying cell loads. Investigation revealed that the second instars larvae were more susceptible to treatment than the third instars treatments. Values obtained from the third instar group were significantly different (P0.05) from those obtained from the second instars group in all the treatments. Lethal concentration (LC50) at 24 hours for 2nd instars was 2.35 while LC50 at 48 hours was 4.31.This study revealed that Bacillus subtilis possess good larvicidal potential for use in the control of Musca domestica in poultry farms.

Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, Musca domestica, larvicidal activities, poultry farms

Procedia PDF Downloads 404

Authors: Olawole Emmanuel Aina, Liziwe Lizbeth Mugivhisa, Joshua Oluwole Olowoyo, Chikwela Lawrence Obi

Abstract:

In sustained and consistent efforts to improve food security, numerous and different methods are proposed and used in the production of food crops, and farm produce to meet the demands of consumers. However, unregulated and indiscriminate methods of production present another problem that may expose consumers of these food crops to potential health risks. Therefore, it is imperative that a thorough assessment of farm produce is carried out due to the growing trend of health-conscious consumers preference for minimally processed or raw farm produce. This study evaluated the safety and nutritional quality of food crops. The objectives were to compare the nutritional quality of organic and inorganic farm produce in one hand and, on the other, evaluate the safety of farm produce with respect to trace metal and pathogenic contamination. We conducted a broad systematic search of peer-reviewed published literatures from databases and search engines such as science direct, web-of-science, Google scholar, and Scopus. This study concluded that there is no conclusive evidence to support the notion of nutritional superiority of organic food crops over their inorganic counterparts and there are documented reports of pathogenic and metal contaminations of food crops.

Keywords: food crops, fruits and vegetables, pathogens, nutrition, trace metals

Procedia PDF Downloads 65