Effects of Compost, Vermicompost and Sulfur Compost on Scindapsus aureus Growth

Background & Aims of the Study: This study was conducted to investigate effects of biofertilizers application and its interaction with organic manures on Scindapsus aureus performance. Materials & Methods: The experiment was performed in a randomized block design with factorial arrangement of two above mentioned factors at greenhouse of Municipality fertilizer production factory. Three different fertilizers (vermicompost, granular compost fortified with sulphur and trash compost) were applied at four levels of 5, 10, 15, and 20 percent of soil. The comparisons among means were made using the least significant difference test calculated at p-values <0.05. Results: Around leaves area index (LAI), performance of vermicompost (8.31) was better than other fertilizers. This increase can be related to more absorb nutrients, better nutrition and thus improve plant performance in the presence of vermicompost. Conclusions: Thus use of fertilizers and especially vermicompost in the Scindapsus aureus growth with 10% of soil, will achieve increase in all indicators of plant growth. Thus, the processes of biological conversion such as composting in addition to economic value also have benefits for environmental protection

Alizarin red-S removal from aqueous solutions using saccharomyces cerevisiae: Kinetic and equilibrium study

Alizarin red-S (ARS) is a type of azo dye that is widely used for dyeing of wool and nylon. It is toxic and carcinogenic and can cause a serious hazard to aquatic ecosystems. The ARS removal was experimentally conducted using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae biomass under various parameters of pH (3–11), contact time (20–180 min), the ARS concentration (25–100 mg L –1 ), and yeast dose (0.1%–1.3% w v –1 ). After completing each run, the suspensions were centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 7 min. Finally, the absorbance of samples was read by UV-visible spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 427 nm. The maximum removal efficiency of ARS (68.51%) occurred at the conditions of ARS concentration of 50 mg L –1 , S. cerevisiae dose of 0.4% w v –1 , solution pH of 3, and contact time of 120 min. Biosorption process is desired at low pH under acidic conditions. The equilibrium data of the biosorption process were well fitted with the Langmuir model (R 2 = 0.99). Results indicated that the removal efficiency of ARS has an increasing rate from 10 to 80 min. The best kinetic model to fit experimental data was the pseudo-second-order. The results of the current study confirmed that S. cerevisiae could be used as a low-cost biosorbent for eliminating ARS from aqueous solutions

Biodegradation of Lignocelluloses in Sewage Sludge Composting and Vermicomposting

Please cite this article as: Alidadi H, Najafpour AA, Vafaee A, Parvaresh A, Peiravi R. Biodegradation of lignocelluloses in sewage sludge composting and vermicomposting. Arch Hyg Sci 2012;1(1):1-5. &nbsp; Aims of the Study: The aim of this study was to determine the amount of lignin degradation and biodegradation of organic matter and change of biomass under compost and vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Materials &amp;amp; Methods: Sawdust was added to sewage sludge at 1:3 weight bases to Carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 25:1 for composting or vermicomposting. Lignin and volatile solids were determined at different periods, of 0, 10, 30, 40 and 60 days of composting or vermicomposting period to determine the biodegradation of lignocellulose to lignin. Results were expressed as mean of two replicates and the comparisons among means were made using the least significant difference test calculated (p <0.05). Results: After 60 days of experiment period, the initial lignin increased from 3.46% to 4.48% for compost and 3.46% to 5.27% for vermicompost. Biodegradation of lignocellulose was very slow in compost and vermicompost processes. Vermicomposting is a much faster process than compost to convert lignocellulose to lignin (p <0.05). Conclusions: The organic matter losses in sewage sludge composting and vermicomposting are due to the degradation of the lignin fractions. By increasing compost age, the amount of volatile solids will decrease

Data on fluoride concentration and health risk assessment of drinking water in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran

While fluoride (F) is an essential anion to keep the human body healthy, high F intake could lead to serious health problems. The monitoring of F in drinking water as the main route of F intake, is a key factor in preventing its negative health consequences. Here, we present the F levels in drinking water distribution networks of Khorasan Razavi province in Iran which collected during 2016–2017. The non-cancer human risk attributed to F in municipal and rural regions, also, estimated by calculating the chronic daily intake (CDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) for adults and children. Samples taken from drinking water distribution network in 112 different locations across the Khorasan Razavi and the F concentration determined using standard SPADNS Method. Having a minimum of 0.09 and 0.16 and a maximum of 1.7 and 1.1 mg L−1, the mean F level in municipal and rural samples were 0.74 and 0.59 mg L−1, respectively. The mean CDI values for F in municipal samples were 1.3×10−2, 3.34×10−4, and 8.56×10−6 mg kg−1day−1, for men, women, and children, respectively. The CDI for rural samples were 1.51×10−2, 3.88×10−4, and 9.96×10−6 mg kg−1day−1, for men, women, and children, respectively. The mean HQ of F for men, women, and children in municipal and rural samples were 2.17×10−1, 5.56×10−3, and 1.43×10−4, and 2.44×10−1, 6.26×10−3 and 1.61×10−4, respectively. Locations with a HQ>1, needs appropriate strategies for reducing the F level in drinking water to prevent the potential health risks. Keywords: Fluoride, Health risk assessment, Drinking water, Khorasan Razav

Pathology and Solutions to Improve Drinking Water Treatment System in Zangalanlou Village, Dargaz city, Iran

Routine biological quality check and water safety plan at small treatment plants should be considered as a part of the control requirements due to the health deprivation and the possibility of further contamination. Zangalanlou Water Treatment Plant is often contaminated due to flood. After examining the damage, improvement was performed to remove and prevent the introduction of contamination and the system's efficiency was controlled considering some parameters. This cross-sectional study was carried out on a real scale in Zangalanlou Treatment Plant in 2017. Improvement performance and comparison of the efficiency of the treatment processes (grit removal chamber, slow sand filter and equalization pond) was statistically analyzed and calculated through measurement of turbidity, heterotrophic bacteria count (HPC), total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC) before and after the improvement. Cryptosperidium, Giardia and total organic carbon (TOC) were also examined after improvement. Then, the measured physicochemical parameters of water resource were analyzed for 14 years. The turbidity and HPC in the distribution network and Filter, and HPC in the equalization pond were significantly reduced compared with before improvement. FC, TC and TOC were within the standard limits and the two parasites were not observed but the presence of Blastocystis was confirmed in both raw water and filter inlet, but absent in the output. The physicochemical analysis indicated an increase in total hardness, electrical conductivity, calcium, sulfate and magnesium. Generally, improvements had a significant effect in the removal of contamination at the outlet of the treatment plant, filter and equalization pond, and the physicochemical parameters pridected the water salinity in future

Efficiency in phenol removal from aqueous solutions of pomegranate peel ash as a natural adsorbent

Background: Phenol is an organic pollutant found in industrial effluents that is very toxic to humans and the environment. This study used pomegranate peel ash as a natural absorbent to remove phenol from aqueous solutions. Methods: In this study, pomegranate peel ash in different doses was used as a new adsorbent for the removal of phenol. The effects of contact time, pH, adsorbent dose and initial phenol concentration were recorded. Then, the adsorption data was described with Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms; Excel software was used for data analysis. Results: The highest percentage of phenol adsorption was observed at pH = 7. The optimum amount of adsorbent was 0.6 g/l, and after 120 minutes, the process reached an equilibrium state. The adsorption of phenol decreased following an increase in the pH of the solution. It was also observed that contact time significantly affected the rate of phenol adsorption. The experimental data fit much better in the Freundlich (R2 = 0.9056) model than in the Langmuir (R2 = 0.8674) model. Conclusion: Pomegranate peel ash has the potential to be utilized for the cost-effective removal of phenol from aqueous solutions

Isolation and identification of Acanthamoeba from pond water of parks in a tropical and subtropical region in the Middle East, and its relation with physicochemical parameters

Abstract Background Free-living amoeba (FLA) are wide-spread protozoa that are found in different environmental sources including water, soil, dust, hospital units and ventilation areas. These amoebas can act as opportunistic or non-opportunistic pathogens. Among FLAs, some genera such as Acanthamoeba are important because of their potential pathogenic ability in humans. The purpose of this study is to identify of Acanthamoeba isolated from pond water of parks in a tropical and subtropical region in the Middle East, and its relation with physicochemical parameters.From August to December 2015, 90 samples were collected from pond water of parks of 13 regions of Mashhad City. Physicochemical parameters were measured in situ. After filtering, the samples were cultured on Bacto-agar enriched with Escherichia coli. PCR analysis was conducted on the culture-positive samples, and then the PCR products were sequenced. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS software and Fisher’s Exact and Mann-Whitney test. Results Among the samples that were examined, 19 samples (21.1%) were positive for Acanthamoeba. The sequencing revealed that Acanthamoeba isolates belonged to T4 genotype of Acanthamoeba. There was no significant relationship between physicochemical parameters and the presence of Acanthamoeba. Conclusion The prevalence of Acanthamoeba in pond water of parks was relatively high, but there was no significant relationship between physicochemical parameters and the presence of Acanthamoeba

Enhanced Kinetic Removal of Ciprofloxacin onto Metal-Organic Frameworks by Sonication, Process Optimization and Metal Leaching Study

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are currently recognized as unique platforms for environmental studies. This study evaluated the potential of nine MOFs from ZIF-8, ZIF-67, and UIO-66 families for the removal of ciprofloxacin (CIP), a toxic, bio-accumulative, and persistent fluoroquinolone antibiotic. ZIF-67-SO4, with a rhombic crystalline morphology and 1375 m2/g BET surface area, has the highest CIP adsorption efficiency among the studied MOFs. The mathematical sorption model predicted that the highest CIP removal (99.2%) occurs when adsorbent dose, pH, and agitation time are adjusted to 6.82, 832.4 mg/L, and 39.95 min, respectively. Further studies revealed that the CIP adsorbed onto ZIF-67-SO4 in monolayer (qmax: 2537.5 mg/g) and chemisorption controlled the rate of the process. Mass transfer kinetic coefficients improved significantly by sonication at 35 KHz in comparison with mechanical agitation. Thermodynamic parameters (minus signs of ∆G&deg; [7.8 to 14.2], positive signs of ∆H&deg; (58.9 KJ/mol), and ∆S&deg; (0.23 KJ/mol&middot;K)) demonstrated the spontaneous, endothermic, and chemical sorption of CIP. The level of cobalt leached from ZIF-67-SO4 structure varied 1.2&ndash;4.5 mg/L, depending on pH, mixing time, and agitation type. In conclusion, the excellent adsorption properties of ZIF-67-SO4 for CIP, made it an outstanding candidate for environmental protection purposes

Phenol removal from aqueous solution using Citrullus colocynthis waste ash

Phenol is a hazardous organic chemical that introduced into the environment by industrial and pharmaceutical discharges. As a versatile option for phenol removal, adsorption would be viable if it accompanying with low cost adsorbents. This article described a natural, very cheap and local available adsorbent for phenol removal. Phenol showed a high affinity to Citrullus colocynthis waste ash which mainly composed of SiO2 (41.6%), Al2O3 (17.3%) and MgO (15.9%). Up to 70% of phenol adsorbed in the first 30 min of agitation. The phenol removal was increased by increasing adsorbent dose (0.5–10 g/L) and decreasing pH (2–12) and pollutant concentration (10–100 mg/L). The positive value of ∆H° in thermodynamic data (0.06) revealed that the process is endothermic. The high and positive value of ∆S° (13.01) and negative values of ∆G° (− 5.36 to − 7.28), showed a high affinity of phenol to the adsorbent and the spontaneous nature of the adsorption. Isotherm modelling revealed that the phenol molecules adsorbed in multilayer with the maximum adsorption capacity of 173.2 mg/g. The rate limiting step in the sorption process was chemisorption, based on the kinetic data. Keywords: Phenol, Adsorption, Citrullus colocynthis, Thermodynamic, Wate

Improving Formaldehyde Removal from Water and Wastewater by Fenton, Photo-Fenton and Ozonation/Fenton Processes through Optimization and Modeling

This study aimed to assess, optimize and model the efficiencies of Fenton, photo-Fenton and ozonation/Fenton processes in formaldehyde elimination from water and wastewater using the response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). A sensitivity analysis was used to determine the importance of the independent variables. The influences of different variables, including H2O2 concentration, initial formaldehyde concentration, Fe dosage, pH, contact time, UV and ozonation, on formaldehyde removal efficiency were studied. The optimized Fenton process demonstrated 75% formaldehyde removal from water. The best performance with 80% formaldehyde removal from wastewater was achieved using the combined ozonation/Fenton process. The developed ANN model demonstrated better adequacy and goodness of fit with a R2 of 0.9454 than the RSM model with a R2 of 0. 9186. The sensitivity analysis showed pH as the most important factor (31%) affecting the Fenton process, followed by the H2O2 concentration (23%), Fe dosage (21%), contact time (14%) and formaldehyde concentration (12%). The findings demonstrated that these treatment processes and models are important tools for formaldehyde elimination from wastewater